Fires Within
by Totally4Ryo
Summary: Sequel to Fires That Burn - Ianto is learning to embrace his dragon nature and trying to learn what a DragonLord is. Set during "Greeks Bearing Gifts". Once again, it's assumed you know the ep. Some Gwen bashing involved.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fires Within 1/7

Series: DragonLord  
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Ianto, Toshiko, Gwen, Owen; Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Owen, Gwen/Rhys, Tosh/Mary  
Word Count(this part): 3119  
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did, nobody would have to write these type of fics. The BBC and He Who Does Not Know How To Treat His Characters claims it as theirs. I'm just borrowing them to keep dreams alive.  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Torchwood S1, especially "Greeks Bearing Gifts"  
Summary: Ianto is trying to come to terms with his dragon nature. A revision of "Greeks Bearing Gifts" in the DragonLord verse. Sequel to "Fires That Burn".

Beta by:

Notes: I am not going to cover the entire episode, unless something different happens in the story. Most of this story is a behind the scenes with Ianto and Jack as Ianto discovers more of his dragon nature.

This also covers the Long Live Ianto bingo prompt, "Psychic Links".

Additional note: In "Fires That Burn" Ianto's race was referred to as "dragonkind". Since I wrote that story, I decided if I was going to continue it, they would be DragonLords, however dragonkind can also be used as a generic term to were-dragons. Some of the concepts behind the DragonLords are from "The Last DragonLord" by Joanne Bertin.

OoOoOoO

bFires Within Chapter One/b

It had been a week since the members of Torchwood Three had encountered the cannibals in the Brecon Beacons. The team was still recovering from their ordeal. Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood Three, knew it was more than just the encounter with the cannibals that shook most of the members of his team. Suddenly discovering one of their own was actually an alien with the ability to change into a dragon was disturbing to some members.

Gwen Cooper did not seem to be handling the knowledge very well. She approached with caution whenever the other was around. Ianto Jones at times seemed shell shocked whenever he thought no one was looking. Jack figured that Gwen just had to accept it and get on with their job. Ianto, however, was not so easy. Ianto had more to lose than Gwen if he did not get comfortable with the truth soon, because Ianto Jones was a DragonLord.

Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper, Torchwood's medic and technological genius respectively, seemed to take it in stride, and treated Ianto no different than before. Owen still traded barbs with Ianto, only adding quips about deadly halitosis and Golden Boy. If there were any changes in how Toshiko related to Ianto from before, Ianto could not notice it. She did offer her services to Ianto that if Jack was able to find more recordings taken from the ship to translate them. She was currently running a new translation program in hopes to completely translate the diaries that Jack had held onto that Ianto's mother had given him. Jack was able to translate parts of it, which Toshiko used for the program as a starting point.

Jack was nothing but supportive. He did his best to assure Ianto he was still the same man he was before they left for the countryside, only he was more. He did his best to answer any questions Ianto might have about his native race, and spent many hours between Rift alerts translating as much as he did.

Currently Jack was down in the Archives with Ianto in another attempt to find anything still in Torchwood's possession from the ship that crashed with Ianto's family aboard.

"Ianto!" Jack bellowed from several aisles away from where Ianto stood, going through microfilm. "I think we still have the ship."

Ianto turned in the direction of the voice, to see Jack enter the section he was in, holding onto a

folder.

They were in a section of the Archives that Ianto had rarely been in before, looking through the logs back from the early 80's.

Jack came to a stop before Ianto and handed him the folder. "I know they had stripped the ship and placed the parts in storage, but I was sent overseas for a few years, tracking an operation in the States. When I returned, the storage unit with the ship was emptied, there was a new staff and no one knew what happened. I figured it was either destroyed or sent to London," Jack explained.

Ianto glanced through the file. "Some of the locations are on site," he stated. "Tech they could not make out what it does, ship logs they were unable to translate. Most of it is in the miscellaneous section."

"At least we have location numbers," Jack said. "They're yours to peruse as you want. Depending on the Rift, we can head out to the storage facility in Newport tomorrow or the day after."

Ianto checked his watch and noted the time. "It's almost quitting time," he said, understanding why they were not going that day.

Jack nodded. "You can start going through the locations here tonight, for starters." He gazed at Ianto. "After dinner and some more exercises."

"Jack, I appreciate all you're doing for me, but it worries me that we seem to be strengthening the bond with our exercises."

"The stronger the bond, the more I'll be able to keep you grounded so you can control your Changes," Jack stated, resting his hip on the desk they stood by. "And Ianto, you need to Change again soon. It's been a week now."

"I will," Ianto said, looking down. "Once I figure out how," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"There should be more information to help you now that we know where to look." Jack rested a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "It's been a long day, and I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"I can call in an order," Ianto started.

Jack shook his head. "I'm tired of takeaway. We've been having it for the last four days. I'm taking you out. Then we can come back here, do some exercises and then go through the locations until we either get called out on an alert or we decide to go to bed."

Ianto sighed. "Well, now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind some Italian that isn't pizza."

Jack grinned. "See? That's what I'm thinking too." He stood up and took Ianto by his hand. "We'll lock up what we found tonight with the others. Of course, it would make reading better once Tosh finishes the translation program for it."

"She said she's almost done with it, using the samples you had translated."

Jack snorted as they headed out of the deeper levels of the Archives. "You don't want to know how long it took me to do what I had. I remembered only a little of their language. We used translators when I was there." He shrugged. "Your mother and grandfather thankfully spoke a dialect of Standard Galactic so I was able to communicate with them."

It wasn't the first time Jack had mentioned it over the week since Ianto had unexpectantly found himself turning into a dragon, and making a barbeque out of the cannibals who tried to turn the Torchwood team into dinner.

"I understand, Jack. Really. I don't expect you to know it all, and I really appreciate all you're doing to shed some light on this." He took a deep breath, turning his head to gaze at Jack. "Are we okay?" he asked.

Jack looked confused.

"This bond thing."

Jack shook his head fondly and took Ianto's hand in his. "Of course we are. Unless you're feeling

trapped. I mean, just because we have this bond between us, doesn't mean we have to be more than friends. If that's what you want, that is."

"What about you?" Ianto asked.

"I'm thinking the bond is only enhancing what we developed during the month you were suspended."

Ianto nodded. "I guess, but I'm still concerned that it had something to do with….."

"Don't go there, Ianto," Jack said. "That's in the past. I forgave you because once I calmed down I knew where you were coming from. Everyone should have someone in their lives that you would give the world for. Lisa was your someone."

Ianto glanced down, watching the play of light and shadows on his shoes. After taking a few steps, he glanced back at Jack. "Did you have a someone?"

Jack snorted. "More than one." He shrugged. "I guess I used to be fickle."

Ianto eyed him. "Right," he said. While they never really broached the subject, Jack had reason to suspect that Ianto knew he had been with Torchwood since 1899, and considering he didn't look over 40, there was something not exactly normal at play there. They came to the stairs that led up from the inner depths of the Archives as Ianto felt Jack's gaze.

Before he had a chance to question, he felt Jack grab onto his arm and turn him around. "We still need to talk. A lot of talking. But I'm not good at it."

Ianto could not help snorting. "Not good at talking? Seriously?" Ianto asked. He started up the stairs.

"I know I can talk a fast story, but I'm better at not really saying anything while I'm talking," Jack

admitted. "But I do with you. A little anyway. Saying something, that is."

They both stopped and stared at each other. Ianto came to a quick decision. "How do you feel about pasta for dinner?"

"With garlic bread?" Jack asked.

"I'll see what I can do," Ianto replied with a smile.

"Are you sure you want to cook? I'm all for going out for dinner."

Ianto shrugged. "I'd rather be home," he replied. "Actually I prefer to stay here but I know you're not letting that happen."

Jack sighed as he grabbed Ianto by the hand to stop him. "I told you, unless something triggers your dragon nature to emerge, you will not spontaneously Change like the first time. Your situation was critical and I believe it was a combination of anger and fear, along with a strong sense of self-preservation that triggered it. Technically, you're still too young to Change."

"So that's why I didn't at Canary Wharf?" Ianto asked.

"That or as scared that you were, you weren't angry enough, or subconsciously you never felt your life threatened."

Ianto seemed to consider it before looking Jack in his eyes. "I wasn't thinking about myself then," he admitted, "and not getting her out was not an option." He started to look down but Jack stopped him with a squeeze of his hand.

"That explains it. I'm glad because it might have been worse if you were triggered then." Jack shuddered. "And we are at the place where we can talk about Lisa with no hard feelings. Yes?"

"I'm trying," Ianto stated, looking Jack in the eye again.

Jack smiled at Ianto. "I know. You can look me in the eye when you talk about it." He leaned over to lightly kiss Ianto's lips. "We're okay, Ianto."

"I know. Now I still prefer to be home instead of in a restaurant, even with your reassurances. So, pasta and garlic bread? We can stop off on the way home to pick up some fresh bread."

"And fresh pasta," Jack added hopefully.

Ianto managed a smile. "As long as we don't eat out. I can do a quick in and out in picking up what I need to make dinner."

When they reached the Hub proper, Jack grinned at Ianto. "Go on and get a head start. I'll send

the others home for the night and shutdown. I won't be too far behind you."

Ianto nodded. "Okay, but if anything changes, give me a call. Especially if you need help."

"Got it."

Jack watched as Ianto headed across the Hub toward the cogwheel door. He frowned when Gwen was on the walkway and had to pass Ianto. She tried to school her features into neutral, but Jack still caught the fear and something else as she tried to pull as far from him as possible without falling over and into the basin below. If Ianto noticed, which he most likely did, he showed no sign of it as he continued on his way, calling out good night to Toshiko and Owen.

Gwen saw Jack and started to go in his direction. Before she had a chance to approach him, he called out, "Gwen, go home." He took his attention off her and looked in Toshiko's direction. "Tosh, Owen, you too. If I need you back, I'll call."

"I was hoping to speak to you, Jack," Gwen started, finally coming to a stop before Jack.

"If it's about Ianto, forget it, Gwen."

"But he's a dragon, Jack! An alien! Why do you keep him around?"

"Because he's part of the team," Jack remarked, getting annoyed. "Because we need him around. And because I say so. It should be enough."

"You should be thinking about if he goes dragon on us, and hurts one of us," Gwen stated.

"It won't happen, Gwen. And I already told everyone that his race is a peaceful one. So enough on this bull." He sighed at stared at Gwen. "You know I would never do anything intentional that would harm any of you. This job is bad enough and I know it's dangerous, but I still do my best to keep everyone safe. That includes you, Gwen, and it also includes Ianto."

"Did you stop and think about what it would mean to the team once Ianto learns how to Change and control his, well, his dragon-ness?" Owen asked, coming over to join the conversation.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I should hope there isn't a dragoness in Ianto's life," he quipped.

"You know what I mean, Jack," Owen said.

Jack stared at Owen, knowing Gwen was staring at him. "Like do you mean would Ianto be stupid enough to Change down here in the Hub?" he asked the medic. "Or while in the field, he Changes because his dragon self is harder to injure and could possibly save one or more of us and still come out of it relatively uninjured? Is that what you mean?"

He heard Gwen snort, and turned to glare at her.

"Jack, I'm only thinking about Ianto," Owen stated. "Particularly because of the events that caused his first change. And damned if I know anything about doctoring a dragon," he added in frustration.

Jack looked back to Owen and nodded. "Once we get to transcribing more files we have from the crash site, I'm sure there should be some medical notes for you to reference."

"And this is based on?" Owen asked.

Jack shrugged. "Most ships maintained medical records on crew and passengers among other files. If nothing else, Ianto's mother was pregnant, so there has to be something on her."

"Wonderful, so should Ianto gets himself up the duff, I would know what to do. Lovely, Jack."

"Well," Jack started as Gwen giggled from next to him. He shrugged. "I'm sure there's more than just her pregnancy on file. For one thing, I'm sure there are records of vitals and what should be normal for his race."

"I hope you're right, Jack."

"Look, for the most part when Ianto is in his human form, there should not be much difference from other humans, which is why I felt it safe to leave him to be raised by a human family. However once he starts Changing more often, from what I know, he'll get tougher. Like his dragon self, he'll be harder to injure and quicker to heal, only not as much as in his dragon form."

"Which leads me back to my first concern," Owen said. "No, I don't believe Ianto would be stupid enough to stuff himself in a small space. Not intentionally, but being as he has not yet been able to trigger another and his first one was uncontrolled, then who's to say it won't happen again like that, which could be anywhere."

Jack shrugged again. "His ability to Change is tied into his emotions. I doubt he'd be pushed into the state he was in that triggered his Change. I explained that to him too, or else he'd be camping out down in the firing range."

Jack decided to keep his struggles he had each night for the past week getting Ianto down to his bunk, and there were a few nights when they spent the night on a makeshift bed in the firing range.

"What about his mental condition?" Owen asked. "Is he dealing with what happened that night?"

"Why don't you ask Ianto?" Jack replied. "Without an audience please. However, if you're asking for my opinion, then I'll say that he seems to be more distracted with finding out who he really is than what was done that day."

"Fine. I'll ask him tomorrow," Owen conceded. "If I can get him to talk. He gets tight-lipped about it when I ask."

"Have you asked him when others aren't around?" Jack asked as his eyes shifted to Gwen, showing that he did not forget she was still there.

"Well no, but that's only because I can't get Ianto alone," Owen answered.

"So try harder. I'll tell Ianto he better not run. If he still does, I'll keep him around for you. Deal?"

"Deal," Owen answered. "He needs an exam too."

"I know. I'm working on him with that," Jack said. "Now did I say everyone should get out and go home?" Jack looked beyond Owen to Toshiko who was still furiously typing away on her computer. "That includes you too, Tosh. Out!"

"I thought you wanted that list for UNIT?" Toshiko called out, still typing.

"Yes, but during normal working hours. Now scat everyone. Take advantage of an early night while we have one."

"Can I check the Daikaran translation program first?" Toshiko asked.

Gwen realised she no longer had Jack's attention, and not likely to be sympathetic to her concerns and huffed away to her workstation.

"Quickly," Jack allowed her. "Five minutes and out. I'll check it through the night."

Toshiko finally turned to face Jack as Owen started for his workstation and prepared to leave. "You will call me if there is anything wrong?" she asked Jack.

"Of course. I want this to be done as fast as possible. This is important for Ianto," Jack replied.

"Which makes it important for us," Toshiko said with conviction. "He is part of our team."

Owen nodded in agreement, and Gwen slammed a drawer on her desk but said nothing. She didn't have to because Jack knew what she was thinking by the look on her face.

He watched as Gwen stormed over to the cogwheel door, thinking she was going to leave. The annoyed woman stopped and waited impatiently while Owen and Tosh got ready to leave.

Jack watched as they left, and once the cogwheel door closed behind them he went into his office and pulled up the CCTV camera by the tourist information office and watched as the three came through the door. Gwen and Owen said goodnight to Toshiko, then they watched as the Japanese woman made her way along the boardwalk in the direction of her flat on Windsor Esplanade before they made their way up the stairs and toward the carpark for Mermaid Quay. He changed the cameras to watch as they stopped and talked before getting into their own cars. Owen left the carpark and Gwen followed. Jack continued to follow the two cars as they made their way to Owen's flat. He watched as they both entered the building, Gwen giggling and laughing and basically acting like a schoolgirl.

He shut down his computer and took out his mobile to send Ianto a text, "You're right." He put away the mobile and shutdown his computer. After a quick check at Toshiko's station, he put on his coat and left the Hub to meet Ianto.

OoOoOoO


	2. Chapter 2

After dinner, Jack went to set on the sofa, while Ianto made them some coffee. Jack said he wanted to talk before they went out for another night of Ianto Changing again. As he made their coffee, he watched Jack, who appeared nervous and on edge.

Jack took his coffee with a "thank you," and silently started to drink. Ianto decided to sit in the easy chair and wait for when Jack was ready to start something.

Finally Jack looked up and asked, "I'm guessing you have suspicions. About me, that is."

Ianto nodded as he had another sip of his coffee. He put the mug down on the coffee table and quietly replied, "There were rumours at One about you." He looked over at Jack. "You're older than you appear."

"Much older," Jack admitted.

"How?"

"That's a loaded question. For the easy answer, where I come from, the normal lifespan is 200 or so. So I had that on my side. I was still young at 40." Jack shrugged.

"And how long ago were you 40?" Ianto asked.

Looking pointedly at Ianto, Jack asked, "What do you know?"

Ianto took a deep breath. "I can tell you that the first entries of you involved in Torchwood were in 1899, and sporadically there were reports filed by you since. At first I thought the Rift was involved, or time travel. The Doctor was mentioned in the earlier reports, so time travel was a probable conclusion. No one explained why or how those entries were possible. Not to the lowly researchers. All I know is what I pulled up in our files while researching. Some of your entries corresponded to what I had on my desk." He shrugged. "And people talked and more than your promiscuousness." Fixing his eyes on Jack's, he softly asked, "So are you going to explain how that could be."

They ended up talking for a while; well Jack talked, while Ianto listened. Ianto limited his questions, deciding it was best not to interrupt Jack. The immortal started his tale with stories about growing up on the Boeshane Peninsula in the 51st century. He told a little about how society was by that time and a little about his family. Ianto now knew Jack had a good childhood with two loving parents and a younger brother, what the colony was like and then Jack admitted he could not remember much more. He went onto some of his time as a Time Agent, and one day waking up to discover two years of his memories were taken. He talked about going rogue and going back to WWII England, how he had taken on the identity of a pilot who was killed during a training sortie. He spoke on about meeting Rose Tyler and the Doctor and some of their adventures.

Ianto was fascinated but unfazed. He did work for Torchwood, after all. He knew about the Doctor, he had caught a glimpse of him on camera on that faithful day. He had seen the Cybermen and Daleks on that day. Also all the bits and pieces he had heard about Jack made more sense.

He should have been shocked upon finding out that Jack was immortal, but he wasn't. That also made sense to what he knew of Jack, and explained what had happened the night Suzie had killed herself and Gwen was recruited.

Jack admitted that Gwen knew because there was no way to cover what she had seen that night. Ianto wanted to suggest a stronger dose of Retcon, but it was a moot point as Gwen was now part of their team. Perhaps moreso than he was, Ianto reflected.

Jack concluded with, "You have a very long life because of your race. That is assuming you don't encounter any of the few things harmful to your people."

"Like a certain radiation," Ianto mentioned.

"Like that," Jack agreed. "So you won't have to lose everyone, Ianto. You'll have me around for a long time."

"Assuming you want to," said Ianto.

Jack leaned back and stretched. "That goes both ways, Ianto. I wonder if you might get sick of me sooner or later," he admitted.

Ianto took a deep breath. "I was involved with you when I thought I still had Lisa." He held up his hand to forestall Jack interrupting as the immortal started opened his mouth. "I know now that I had lost her the day One fell, but I didn't then. We both know I started things for my own purposes but that changed long before Lisa was discovered. And I choose to continue what we started when you gave me a second chance. I lost Lisa, but I gained you."

Jack smiled at Ianto. "Apparently you chose me a long time ago. What happened then was subconscious because you were a newborn infant, but your race does have psychic abilities, so in a sense it wasn't so random. Just because I was the only one with you doesn't mean you had to bond with me. I've seen it happen before. It wasn't easy for the youngling."

OoOoOoO

Shortly after their talk, Jack drove them along the coast just past Barry until they got to a secluded beach they had designated as Ianto's practice field. Jack felt it important for them not to be near trees or anything that could catch fire in case that Ianto managed to Change and was unable to control his fire. It was also good to have open space.

Hours later they sat on the blanket Ianto had provided. Once again Ianto had been unsuccessful. Since they were there for Ianto to connect with his true nature, Jack decided the lull between them as they drank coffee Ianto had bought with them was a good time to bring up what he had promised Owen.

After drinking the last of the coffee in his travel mug, Jack set it on the blanket next to him. "Ianto," he started and then waited for the other man's attention. Once Ianto was looking up, a frustrated look on his face, Jack continued, "You haven't let Owen check you out since we got back from the Brecon Beacons."

Ianto shrugged as he drank from his travel mug. "I'm okay, Jack," he said, resting his arms and mug on his legs. "The transformation seemed to have healed my injuries."

"That's good, but not why you should let Owen examine you. We should be monitoring your vitals for one, and then blood tests to indicate if the Change activated anything that's not quite human. We need to know these things for your own continued well-being," Jack pointed out.

Ianto suddenly looked concerned. "I thought you said that I had a long life?"

"DragonLords have long lives. That doesn't apply to those with the potential to become DragonLords, but have not fully developed into one. I'm not sure if that can be accomplished with this only one Change. You could be vulnerable right now, and if your body is starting to change, but unable to handle it because it has not yet transformed into its true DragonLord nature, you could be at risk. Especially the longer before you Change again," Jack explained. "More than before because we don't know how the Change has affected you. I know something of the DragonLord culture, but not enough, and I definitely don't know the medical side of it. Well, except for helping babies be born, but at least that was done like any other human female. Hopefully Tosh's program starts translating soon and we get more for Owen to go by." He pointed a finger at Ianto. "But first thing tomorrow, please let Owen give you a full exam. And every other day after until we know more; and maybe longer depending on what we learn."

Ianto let out a heavy sigh. "Right." He fell silent. Jack took it as a concession.

The Captain clapped his hands, startling Ianto who seemed to have fallen into deep thought. "So I think we should try working on our bond again. Maybe through me we can get you to go dragon again."

Ianto nodded, and then asked, "So just how long do these DragonLords live?"

"Thousands of years," Jack replied. "Some of the Elders were around 10,000, but I think average is three or four thousand years."

"Oh, well what about the non-DragonLords?"

"Average is 100, I think. Unless they are bonded to a DragonLord, especially the ones who are mates."

"That answers my next question then. The bond more or less gives the human the extended life of a DragonLord?"

"Yes," Jack replied. "It also gives the human bonded the ability to develop some magic."

"Magic?" Ianto asked.

"Yes, we are speaking about dragons. Of course there is magic involved."

"What about me? Can I do magic?"

Jack grinned at Ianto. "What do you think Changing is? If that isn't magic, than what is?"

"Well yeah, I guess." Ianto frowned. "If I can do that again." Looking uneasy, he started to look everywhere in the inky darkness than at Jack.

Ianto's gaze seemed to settle on the water, which was easier to hear than see. They were using a dim lighting stone that Jack had taken from the Archives. It provided just enough light for them not to be sitting in darkness, but not enough to bring attention to them should someone be casually passing by. They were protected by a perimeter of a wooded area from the road, mostly used in the day for those going on the beach to park, but at the time they were there Ianto's car was the only vehicle parked. Jack had put up the Torchwood placard making it look like official Torchwood business, which Jack figured that technically they were, since it did deal with an alien. Even if the alien in question was one of their own, and Jack was working with Ianto to embrace his alien nature.

"Ianto," Jack started after a minute of silence as Ianto seemed to contemplate the water, "I have to ask you, do you want to Change into a dragon again?"

Ianto's head whipped until his gaze fixed on Jack with a look of astonishment, and Jack thought he also sensed shame.

Pointing at Ianto's face, Jack asked, "Should I take that as a yes?"

Ianto remained silent for several seconds before uneasily answering, "Yeah." He shrugged, looking uneasy. "Maybe." Dropping his gaze to the blanket, he added, "I don't know."

"Tell me about it," Jack urged gently. "What are you feeling?"

Taking a deep breath, Ianto shook his head and then focused his look on Jack's face. "I'm scared," he replied and then looked down, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "All my life I believed that I was human, and now I find out this." Looking up again, but directing his look away from Jack, he said, "Jack, this isn't like discovering I'm part African or some other race. Well, some race of this world, that is." Looking up a Jack, he continued. "I'm an alien, Jack." He finally looked at Jack, his voice raising as he finished, "I'm not of this world!"

Jack reached over to place a hand on Ianto's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Easy Ianto." He let out a sigh. "Yes and no. Your real parents aren't from this world, but you were born here and never saw their world."

"Yeah. You're right. I suppose I never will."

"Is it important?" Jack asked. "I mean, I wouldn't say never. Especially if you live as long as your people."

He let out a heavy sigh. "We went through this."

"I know and I'm sorry. I think I'm okay with it and then I find myself still feeling weird."

"That's because you overthink yourself. Look, why don't you take some time soon and go visit your parents. Go see your sister. Remind yourself that you are from an average family."

Ianto let out a snort and shook his head. "Right, because all average families have a daughter from the future and a son that Changes into a dragon. Not to mention a father who helps catch aliens." He gazed at Jack with an amused look.

"As far as Rhiannon is concerned, she's from here. At least I think so, because your dad would have tried to contact me if there were any problems. I told him he could. Not hearing from him led me to believe all was well with his family. And he only caught aliens just that once."

Ianto seemed in thought for a minute before he spoke up again. "If I go and speak to my parents, will I be able to finally tell them what I do?" He stared at Jack. "It could even improve my relationship with them, which went considerably downhill since I joined Torchwood One."

Jack stared at Ianto. "Oh." He had the grace to look embarrassed. "I never realized."

"No, you didn't. I think despite what we share, you never thought about a lot of things concerning me." He shrugged. "At least you give Tosh and Gwen the same consideration."

"Owen really doesn't have a family to go back to, and it's not my story to tell, but I am going to start making an effort to give you time for yours. Yes, your father does know about Torchwood, obviously, so you can tell him. I'm not sure just how much he told your mam, so I suggest talking to him first."

"I think I'll call and ask to meet with him soon, but I'm going to have to be able to actually meet him."

"Tell me when and I'll make sure of it," Jack promised.

Ianto stared at him for a few moments and then nodded. "One more thing," he added nervously.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"I saw in your memories of that night that you buried Kianti… my casda, in your garden. Do you still have access to that house?"

Jack looked uneasy as he nodded. "I do, but...," he paused then shrugged. "My daughter and her family live in it, and she has no idea that I used the garden as a burial ground for aliens that I didn't want Torchwood to get their hands on."

"Oh. Well, I imagine that might be difficult then."

"I know. It might not be right away but I can arrange for them to go on holiday. Alice might not be receptive right away to a long weekend at EuroDisney, but I do know that Joe is quick to accept any offer I might give them, and she won't be able to say no to Steven." He smiled at Ianto.

"I don't want to get into your family life," Ianto replied.

"You're not. I was thinking of what I can get Steven for Christmas, and I think this is it. It'll be a nice  
gift for the family."

All Ianto did for a reply was nod and then lapsed into silence.

Jack allowed Ianto a couple of minutes of silence before he asked, "Now do we have everything about family out of the way?"

"I believe so. For now at least."

"Right. We're going to attempt something different then." When Ianto stared at him sceptically, Jack broke out into a grin. "We haven't done the Mindspeak thing since we got back to Cardiff. You're not afraid of that too, are you?"

"I do have concerns," Ianto admitted. "I read what you were able to translate."

"So?" Jack asked.

"First, it feels rather invasive. Not just for me, and yes that does concern me, but for you too. I know you still have secrets that you prefer to keep."

Jack leaned forward to take Ianto's hand and held it between both of his. "It doesn't work that way, Ianto. I can't read your mind unless you want me to. It's the same for you reading my mind, if you're afraid of accidentally breaking into my thoughts. The most we can do is knock, like was already had done. You open your mind if you want to let me in. I'll do the same. I know you know how to do that, as well as defend yourself. I know One was big on developing psi levels and teaching against psychic attacks, especially under Yvonne's reign. Particularly when you already have high psi levels, which you do."

"Because of what I am, right?"

"Obviously. The DragonLords I knew had high psi levels. They used Mindspeak with those they bonded with as well as mates, family and even those close to them. Most humans on the world also had higher levels than here on Earth."

"I guess they had to be in order to have bonds," Ianto said, thinking out loud.

"Perhaps. There was a couple I got to know while I was there. He was a DragonLord and she wasn't. I found out that she didn't have very high psi levels, but through practice and development over the course of their courtship, she was as competent as he was by the time I met them," Jack explained.

"That's the other thing. I know you are open to a relationship but I don't know how much or permanent," Ianto explained. "We're just only at the start. I'm not saying we won't be together for a long time, but it's just too soon in our relationship to make permanent bonds."

Jack squeezed the hand in his and smiled as with his mind he tapped on Ianto's. The smile grew when he was allowed access. '_That is what courtship is about. It can last for a month or years, until both parties feel they are ready for the next step.'_

Ianto laughed in Jack's mind. '_Are you courting me, Captain Harkness?'_

'_Yes,'_ was Jack's reply. He closed the distance further to take Ianto's mouth for a kiss. Both men moved until they were entwined in each other's arms as they continued to kiss. Jack was aware of the sound of the surf, but not much more except for Ianto's hands on his body, Ianto's body moving under his hands and those lips he had discovered he really enjoyed to kiss. Ianto was doing wicked things to his mouth. They continued to kiss long and hard, and Jack felt Ianto relax and become responsive. Jack smiled during a pause to catch their breath.

'_Easy Ianto, as much as I love the idea of sex on the beach, this one isn't the one to do that,'_ he said.

'_Oh ouch, yeah.'_

Both men laughed aloud and in the other's mind.

They kissed softly for a few moments before they settled back in their original positions. Jack took both Ianto's hands in his.

'_Don't be afraid, Ianto. On this world, you are special."_ He smiled warmly at Ianto. '_But I already knew that. Do you like dragons?'_

Jack felt the wonder Ianto suddenly found himself wrapped in. He also felt when Ianto noticed his mind was still open to Jack, almost closed it and then left it open for Jack know all that went through his mind and his feelings on it.

'_I loved stories of dragons growing up. Mam used to read them to me since I could remember. I had a red dragon plush toy that I took everywhere until he fell apart, and I cried for days until Tad came home with a new one. As I got older, along with science fiction, I read any fantasy novel that had dragons.' _ Ianto laughed again, feeling embarrassed. '_When I was young I always wished I could be one. Sometimes… when everything gets __too__ hard to cope, I would find myself still wishing I could become one and fly away, leaving all my troubles behind.'_

Jack moved to pull Ianto in his arms, laughing joyfully. '_Oh but you can, Ianto! Only I don't suggest leaving it all behind, unless you take me with you. Ianto, your big desire is true. You can become a dragon. You can become one of those magnificent, amazing creatures. Oh Ianto, the dragons on Daikari are every bit one of those dragons in the novels, except the ones where they hunt and kill humans. The dragons of your world are brilliant and kind, loving their world and all in it. In dragon form they defend their world and as humans they do what they can to assure their world is the beautiful and wonderful place I remember it being. You can do the same. Hell, you have been doing just that already. And because you're part dragon, the more you Change, the tougher you become, including your skin. You'll become stronger, and oh baby what you could go onto doing. Then think of when you Change.'_ Jack gently touched the side of Ianto's face. '_You are gorgeous Ianto. I thought so the first time I saw you, and it translates well as a dragon. You make one hell of a __magnificent__ golden dragon.'_

He felt Ianto open to all he said, allowing his emotions to be swayed and bubbled up with joy and excitement. He leant in and gently kissed Ianto's mouth. With his lips near Ianto's, he softly said, _'Become that magnificent dragon again, Ianto. Do it for me. Please.'_

Ianto smiled at Jack, his eyes shining more than the reflection from the lighting they used. Then Jack noticed a different glow to Ianto's eyes and slowly they started to become more gold. He moved back, releasing his hold on Ianto and stood up. He recognized the glow, had seen it before. Before a Change, the DragonLord's eyes would glow the colour of the dragon they would become. Once the transformation was complete, their eyes would be the same colour as their human form, only enhanced.

Jack watched as Ianto morphed into the half-dragon creature he was before his first Change was triggered. His jeans He didn't look as glorious as he had as a dragon, but Jack saw strength and beauty. He smiled. He opened his mouth, but thinking that part of what helped Ianto trigger this Change was through their bond, and closed his mouth as he sent, '_That's brilliant, Ianto.'_

Jack continued to watch as the Change continued, until he his head was bent back as he looked up at a majestic golden dragon. The long, sinewy muscled neck turned up and the dragon let out a mighty roar. Jack stood transfixed as he remembered his astonishment and awe when he first saw a DragonLord turn ran into a dragon, but it did not match his sense of wonder and amazement as he stared up at Ianto in his dragon form. He broke out of his shock to throw his arms up and let out a whoop of joy.

'_You did it! Ianto, you're a wonderful, glorious dragon!'_

Ianto laughed with bubbling excitement. _'I am,'_ he agreed. '_I'm a dragon!' _He twisted his neck upward again and this time as he let out another roar, golden wings unfurled.

"Wow!" Jack exclaimed, forgetting himself and speaking aloud. "You are gorgeous, Ianto."

Jack's filled his mind with memories of watching DragonLords change into dragons, and those who had human mates climb on their backs. Together they would soar through the sky. He smiled as he got from Ianto's mind of him flying across the Welsh countryside, Jack on his back. Jack added to the image of Myfanwy flying along with them.

Ianto laughed in his mind, and prepared to take flight. He got barely five feet off the ground when suddenly he changed back to human and fell down to the pebbly surface of the beach. Jack jumped into action, hoping to break Ianto's fall but was not fast enough. He fell to his knees next to a winded Ianto, who was sprawled on the ground.

"Ow," Ianto exclaimed.

Jack helped Ianto into a sitting position. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Ianto nodded. "I think so. Only my ego is bruised." He hung his head.

Jack lifted Ianto's head with a finger under his chin. "You did brilliant, and if you did it tonight, you can do it again." He removed his coat and draped it over Ianto's shoulders. "But not tonight. You don't want to overdo it until you can transform with a single thought."

With Jack's help, Ianto got to his feet and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the greatcoat around his shoulders.

Jack smiled at Ianto. "I'd say tonight was a success."

"I was a dragon for not even five minutes."

"I know, but we didn't put a time limit on it," Jack said, slipping his arm around Ianto's waist. "Our objective was for you to Change, and you did." He moved so he was standing before Ianto and hugged him. "You make one gorgeous dragon." Smiling he kissed Ianto, glad to feel Ianto relax as he returned the kiss.

When they broke off the kiss, Jack said, "Why don't we go to the SUV and you can put some clothes on?"

"Why don't we go back to mine? And if you don't mind, I'll borrow your coat until we get there."

Jack suddenly had a vision of once again taking his coat off Ianto and grinned as he sent the image to Ianto. Ianto winked with a grin of his own and turned toward their blanket to start packing up. Jack debated for a moment to simply stare at Ianto at work, but decided that if he pitched in, the sooner they will be back to Ianto's flat.

Not long after, they were heading back to the SUV. As they walked up to the road, Ianto let out a heavy sigh. "I do hope I get a hang of it soon and able to get my clothes caught up in the transformation. I'll be running out of clothes if this keeps up."

Jack looked at Ianto with a wicked grin. "Well, I think I have an idea on how to get around that.

Ianto raised an eyebrow as he turned his head to Jack. "I should have known you would think of that."

"Aw, c'mon Ianto. It could be fun."

Ianto just smirked and as they came out of the wooded area to the road, did a quick look around to make sure there was no one there to catch a man wearing nothing but a greatcoat coming out of the woods. Once assured the only person in the area as Jack, he started to make a dash for the SUV, with Jack behind him.

OoOoOoO


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Fires Within 3/7  
Series: DragonLord  
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Ianto, Toshiko, Gwen, Owen; Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Owen, Gwen/Rhys, Tosh/Mary  
Word Count(this part): 2879  
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did, nobody would have to write these type of fics. The BBC and He Who Does Not Know How To Treat His Characters claims it as theirs. I'm just borrowing them to keep dreams alive.  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Torchwood S1, especially "Greeks Bearing Gifts"  
Summary: Ianto is trying to come to terms with his dragon nature. A revision of "Greeks Bearing Gifts" in the DragonLord verse. Sequel to "Fires That Burn".  
Beta by: milady_dragon  
Notes: I am not going to cover the entire episode, unless something different happens in the story. Most of this story is a behind the scenes with Ianto and Jack as Ianto discovers more of his dragon nature.  
Additional note: In "Fires That Burn" Ianto's race was referred to as "dragonkind". Since I wrote that story, I decided if I was going to continue it, they would be DragonLords, however dragonkind can also be used as a generic term to were-dragons. Some of the concepts behind the DragonLords are from "The Last DragonLord" by Joanne Bertin. This story is completed, but I plan to post a chapter a week, maybe twice a week.  
Written for the Long Live Ianto bingo prompt: Psychic Links, and Cotton Candy Bingo prompt: Finding Self.

OoOoOoO

Early the next morning found Jack and Ianto back in the Hub after receiving a phone call from the police about a discovery at a construction site that might be a Torchwood matter. Ianto called in the rest of the team and then went to make coffee while Jack went to his office after making a stop by Tosh's workstation to see how the translation program was coming along. Seeing that it was still running with no results yet, Jack settled down to review their systems, checking if anything else through the night needed their attention.

When the others arrived, they had a quick briefing over coffee, and then everyone except Ianto got into the SUV to head to the construction site while Ianto ran operations from the Hub.

Until the team arrived at the site, Ianto had nothing to do but wait once he contacted the authorities that Torchwood was on its way. He was assured the location was secured and workers were cleared. Ianto stressed that the PCs securing the site do not touch anything until told it was okay by the team. He checked Tosh's computer to find still no results and then sat down at his workstation, ready to call up anything the team might need, as well as answer any other incoming calls. While he waited, he called up the file that did have what Jack had previously translated from his birth parents' craft. He knew he already had it memorised, but still wanted to read it in the interim.

While he read his mind went back to the night before, and discovered that he felt equal parts excitement and fear of what he was and what he had been able to accomplish. There was, despite Jack's reassurances throughout the rest of the evening, a touch of shame too that he could not maintain his dragon form for no more than five minutes. He was also disappointed that he was unable to fly again. He knew he shouldn't be, but he still felt wrong about what he was and still yet unable to reconcile what he truly was. Jack suggested that morning that perhaps after more Changes and seeing what he was capable of would help his unsettled mind. Jack was probably right but until then, he found himself in a constant state of confusion. It did not help matters when during the meeting, Gwen did everything she could not to look at him, and when she did, she had a look as if she was expecting him to suddenly Change into his dragon form and burn them all. It bothered him that someone could think that of him, but also knowing it was so close to his betrayal of the team and how Lisa had almost killed them all, he found he could not get mad at Gwen for feeling as she did. That made him feel sad and added to his inner turmoil.

The others returned with a very old skeleton and what had been referred to as a giant stapler. Owen went to the autopsy bay with the skeleton, Gwen following him. Toshiko went to her workstation and started to check on her readings from the construction site.

"New toy, sir?" Ianto asked as Jack came in his direction with the odd looking metal device.

Jack grinned at him. "I need a hand with our new stapler. Care to join me?"

"I do have fresh coffee, so once I hand it out, I'll join you."

Jack watched for a few moments as Ianto walked toward the stairs leading to the coffee service area before heading to the back space of the armoury and set it on the table there.

Once Ianto handed out the coffee, he joined Jack in studying it and taking notes until they heard someone coming in their direction. They looked up to Toshiko standing there. "I'm going down to the Archives and bring up more of the datasticks from the Daikaran ship, if that's okay."

"I can get them," Ianto offered, and realised that they had yet been able to go to the storage facility in Newport where the remains of the spacecraft.

"Don't worry, Ianto," Tosh said with a smile, "I won't mess up your archives."

"I don't with you, but if you have trouble finding anything let me know and I'll be there."

"Okay Ianto. I really think the program will be giving us some results soon. Maybe even today."

"Excellent, Toshiko," Jack said. "Anything you need that would move things along, let me know."

"Thank you, Jack," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, Tosh," Ianto said as she started to turn and head toward the Archives.

Jack and Ianto went back to studying the device, which had already been determined as alien. They were aware of Gwen and Owen in the main area of the Hub. The two were messing around, with Gwen teasing Owen, which she had been doing since that morning. Ianto and Jack decided to ignore them as they worked, Mindspeaking, which they discovered help block out anything they did not want to hear. The joking around was distracting, and Jack did not yet want to call them out on it. Jack finally left Ianto to continue studying it when he went into his office to make a call.

Ianto did not notice Toshiko return to the Hub until he heard her yelling at Gwen and Owen about something. Jack must have noticed too, because he was leaving his office and heading in the direction of Toshiko's workstation. The immortal started to frown just as Ianto started to hear what Toshiko was saying to them. With the probe he was using on the device still in hand, he started across the Hub to join the others.

OoOoOoO

Jack looked up during his phone call when he heard the normally quiet Toshiko's voice rise. He stood up to see outside his office and noticed Gwen and Owen with her, with Owen looking confrontational.

"Colonel Mace," he quickly spoke, cutting off what the UNIT officer was saying, "my apologies, but a situation has arisen that I need to handle. I'll call you back, and thank you again for the information."

He didn't wait for the Colonel to reply as he cut off the call and rushed outside his office. As he approached the group, he noticed Toshiko's monitors were blank. He reached them just in time to hear Owen exclaim, "Do you know what, Tosh? Sometimes I think even that stick up your arse has got a stick up its arse."

"Owen!" Jack shouted.

"Well, I'm not sorry, so don't expect me to apologise," the medic snapped back, starting to walk away.

"Nobody move!" Jack roared, his eyes fixed on the blank monitors.

Everyone froze, including Ianto who was midway across the Hub.

Jack looked at Toshiko. "What happened?" he demanded.

Toshiko glared at Owen and then Gwen. "They pulled out the plugs on my system," she started.

"It was an accident," Gwen broke in apologetically. She moved so she was in Jack's view and gave him big sorrowful eyes. "We didn't mean to, and I apologize for what Owen said to Tosh." She gave the Japanese woman a weak smile. "No one did it intentionally."

Jack folded his arms. "Tosh, among everything else you were running at your station, was Ianto's translation program also abruptly cut off?"

Toshiko nodded her head. "Yes, it was, along with the correlation I was running on data I retrieved from the site this morning."

Jack stared at first Gwen until she hung her head and then Owen, who simply snorted in annoyance. "Children," he started in a condescending tone, "how many times do I have to tell you that we do not play around the workstations?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ianto still in the spot where he stopped and out of Gwen's and Owen's sight smirk.

_Do as I say and not as I do, is it?_ Ianto asked through their bond, sounding amused.

_Hush. This is a completely different thing here,_ Jack sent back.

_This is Owen and Gwen under the workstations. How do we know it was different?_ Ianto could not resist sending back.

_With everyone still here?_ Jack was astounded and did not believe it.

_Who knows what they are up to these days? With the way Gwen has been talking since she started about that boyfriend of hers, I wouldn't have thought this would be possible, but it is._

Jack let out a snort, a hard gaze fixed on Owen. He had been staring Owen and Gwen down while they had their private conversation, making the other two fidget. It was satisfying to Jack that he actually had gotten through Owen's defences. _There are some things they should keep to themselves, including this._

Ianto barely caught himself in time to keep from snorting aloud and covered his laugh with a cough. "I think coffee is in order," Ianto said. Through their bond Jack knew it was only to remove himself from the situation so the others wouldn't find it bizarre that he found the situation funny because it wasn't, no matter how highly amused Jack and Ianto were able to make the other.

As Ianto left, Jack decided he had unnerved Gwen and Owen. He was careful not to include Toshiko in his staring. "I don't blame Tosh for being upset," he finally said, careful to keep his voice even. "I had her running several important programs, including readings from this morning's site. Not to mention the translation program."

"Well that's not too important," Gwen commented and then took a step back as if she realised she said it out loud.

Jack started to open his mouth, but Toshiko was faster. "Every translation program is important, Gwen. It's that much more that we know about another alien race. This one should be more important because it concerns one of our own."

"How is an alien one of our own?" Gwen asked.

"Gwen! I suggest you keep quiet if you don't want to find yourself Retconned!" Jack snapped, staring directly at Gwen. He directed his hard glare to Owen, "That would go for you too, in case you're thinking of making a smartass comment. "

Owen held his hands out in surrender as he pressed his lips together.

"Now Gwen," Jack said, directing his attention back to the Welshwoman, "Ianto is very much one of our own. Once again I remind you that he is part of our team. Please don't make have to say it again. I'm serious, Gwen. Now do you know the seriousness of what you both had done? If Toshiko has to start from the beginning in translating the logs from Ianto's parents' craft, then we could end up being delayed with any crucial medical information that might be needed. I don't know much about his transition into becoming a DragonLord, and how it would affect him medically."

"Then why push him?" Gwen asked. "Why not wait until you have that information."

"Because according to what Jack told me, he doesn't have the luxury of waiting until we're ready for him," Owen decided to answer for Jack.

"That's right," Jack agreed. "Once the first Change triggers, there's no going back." Jack frowned. "But I don't know how much time we have, and what to watch medically, good or bad."

Owen let out a heavy sigh and looked at Toshiko. "Don't expect this to be a habit, but I'm sorry, Tosh. I hope you don't have to start from scratch with the Daikaran translation program."

Toshiko smiled at Owen. "Well, since you apologised…."

"Yeah. Right."

"Tosh, get that program running again. Owen, I want you to tell me more about our friend down in autopsy, and then you need to give Ianto a check-up. We'll tell you more when you're ready." He turned to Gwen. "Gwen, go home. If I remember correctly, today is Rhys's day off. Go and do something with him."

"I don't have to, Jack," Gwen protested.

"Gwen, we have to continually hear about how you have a boyfriend and how much you love him. So, take advantage of my generous offer and get the hell out of here to spend the day with him. I think you need it."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice?" Gwen asked.

"No, you don't. Now get out of here. Oh, and while you're out, I want you to think over what I said today and how to readjust your attitude toward Ianto. And that's an order."

Gwen turned to Owen, who shrugged and gave her a smile. "Bloody PC Cooper and her outside life gets the day off. Don't bloody complain," he said and headed toward the autopsy bay.

In a huff, Gwen stormed off to her workstation and got ready to leave.

"That's appreciation for you," Tosh said low.

"She knows it's a punishment," Jack replied, "and also a reminder of who's waiting at home for her."

"Does she really know how lucky she is?" Toshiko asked bitterly.

Jack put his arm around her and hugged her. "If she doesn't, I'll make sure she knows. Now get everything working again, and then I want you to take the rest of the day off. I'll call you in if we really need your expertise or assistance. Otherwise, go and do something enjoyable."

Toshiko gave Jack another smile and started to work on her workstation. Satisfied that Owen was in the autopsy bay, he felt a smug sense of satisfaction. It felt good after all the times since she started that she rubbed her relationship with that boyfriend of hers in their faces, acting as if they were pathetic and she was the only one in a relationship. He grinned when the cog wheel door closed behind Gwen. Ianto appeared with coffee, minus Gwen's mug on his tray.

Jack raised a question as he took the mug Ianto offered him, knowing Ianto would know his question. Ianto smiled at him. "Well, she was on her way out." The smile faded. "Did I hear you say that Owen is to examine me?"

"Yes. He needs to know about your success last night and compare the results of today's exam to your previous ones."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "If I must," he sighed.

"Yes, you must. I know you proved that you weren't injured last night when we got back to yours, but there's more to it."

"Yes, Jack."

"Tosh, any luck in getting those programs running?" Jack called out.

"I just got all my systems online and about to check on the programs," she replied.

"Good work, Tosh," Jack said. "We'll leave you to it then. Ianto, if you'll come with me. Time to have a little chat with our good doctor."

Ianto snorted. "Good is a relative term."

Jack laughed as he led Ianto toward the autopsy bay.

OoOoOoO

Ianto sat down in the Archives, his mind going over the results of Owen's exam. He was changing. His metabolism was higher. It was nothing that Owen felt to be concerned about for the time, but he also believed that Ianto would have to embrace his DragonLord nature soon now that Ianto's vitals were changing. Owen actually apologised again to Toshiko before she left and made her promise to send him any medical related information once her program started to translate the Daikaran logs.

Once Toshiko was assured that her programs were running again with minimal loss of progress, she was ushered out of the Hub by Jack, who told her to enjoy her free time while she had it.

Jack had to make some calls and go over the pile of reports that had been accumulating in his inbox, while Owen went back to his strange obsession over the skeleton. Ianto decided to slip down into the Archives and continue his ongoing battle of getting the Archives in shape. He feared it would take him years until he finally got it all well-organized. He didn't mind the work because he actually enjoyed it. It could become tedious at times but not in a way that bothered him because he found the monotony and solitude perfect for inner reflection while he worked. Most of the time it was a challenging task that meant it would never be boring for long while working in the Archives, unlike when he manned the Tourist Information office, which hardly saw any tourists. He decided to stay down there until Jack called him as he continued the never-ending task of cataloguing files and items that had never found their way into their proper sections for what looked like several years before he started to work at Torchwood Three. While he was down there, he looked up a couple of locations where items from the Daikaran ship were placed. He was yet to make out exactly what logic was used in placing the items other than most of what was still in the Hub was in an section designated "1978 – 1984", while others ended up in locations all over the Archives, thankfully filed by what was believed the use was, and in many cases signed off by Jack.

OoOoOoO


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: Once again, I have to apologize for the delay. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. Thanks for the reviews, faves and alerts! You know who you all are. :) *hugs*

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Chapter 4

They found themselves on a beach again that evening. They changed location at Jack's insistence, deciding that they needed a beach with more sand and less pebbles, settling for a stretch of sand just south of Newport. The plan was once they were done with practice, they would head into Newport and go to the storage facility to look over what was left of the spacecraft. They also had a small tent set up along with an overnight bag that contained a change of clothes for Ianto. Before they left, Ianto changed into a pair of inexpensive workout pants and tee-shirt. They had also stopped along the way to pick up a picnic style dinner, which they were currently enjoying, along with the coffee Ianto had brought along with them.

All day they had been working on their bond from Mindspeaking to simply opening up so they were able to share emotions. It was no secret to Jack that Ianto still had mixed emotions and would find himself in states of confusion at times during the day.

Once they were finished with their meal over pleasant conversation and comfortable silences, Jack decided to bring it up.

Once the rubbish from their meal was packed away, Jack sat down next to Ianto, and slipped his arm around the other. They started to kiss, enjoying the evening out.

It was a nice night and it did feel nice to be away from the Hub. They did spend a night here and there at Ianto's flat, but most times when they spent the night together, Ianto would stay over at the Hub. Jack realised that they had only started to spend time away from the Hub because of Ianto. Jack hoped once Ianto mastered Changing that they would not fall back into old habits of staying in the Hub all night.

Jack allowed his mind to drift, knowing Ianto would be able to see them in his own mind if he wanted. He saw Ianto as the gold dragon again, with Jack on his back. They would spend some of the non-rainy nights soaring through the skies.

'_I think I'm ready to try again,'_ Ianto said.

'_Good luck,'_ Jack sent and sat back as he watched Ianto stand up.

Ianto glanced around the area just to be certain there was no one around, and then took off his jacket and dropped it on the blanket. He took a deep breath and started to remove his shirt.

Jack held up a hand. "As much as I love to see you undressing, you'll never be able to Change back and forth between forms without shredding clothes unless you wear something to practice."

"Since we're in a remote area, I thought to start with my shorts and build my way up," Ianto explained.

Jack's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed as he stared at Ianto, his upper torso now exposed. "Aren't you cold?" he asked. He was warm in the chilly air, but that was because of his coat.

Ianto grinned down at Jack. "No. I'm fine."

"When did this start?" Jack asked.

"It started to feel the chill less since last week," Ianto replied.

"Since your first Change."

"Correct. Since last night, I feel the cold less." Ianto shrugged. "Owen did say my metabolism is faster. And perhaps legends of dragons stem from something. They were warm-blooded, weren't they?"

"That's what legends seem to say, depending on where you're looking. I do recall that the DragonLords didn't need to wear coats when I was there and it would get cold at nights when I was there."

"So with each Change I'm taking on more DragonLord traits," Ianto surmised.

"Which you should be," Jack stated. He studied Ianto, who was now opening his belt and taking off his pants trousers.

"I guess you're right." Taking a deep breath, Ianto tossed his pants trousers to land on his discarded shirt on the blanket, smirking at Jack's clapping and wolf whistles. It figured Jack would find what Ianto considered a necessity so he would not have to replace his wardrobe, a striptease just for him. As he turned and moved further from the blanket and Jack, he considered that perhaps it also was.

Despite his initial intentions and their recent setback, Jack made him feel good. The fact that he was healing from losing Lisa and finding himself in a relationship with Jack that he enjoyed made it true. Once again he was reminded that even while wanting to save Lisa and undoing what the Cybermen had done to her, he had also fallen in love with Jack. He was still yet to explore what it meant had he been successful with Lisa and she was alive and well. Perhaps it was best that events happened as they had. He did not want to think of what he would have done otherwise.

He shook himself of those thoughts. The fact was that Lisa was dead and Ianto had resumed his relationship with Jack, knowing exactly how he felt for the older man. They also now had a bond between them, one which allowed them to feel what the other was as well as speak to each other in their minds. He was glad that there were safeguards which only allowed it when they chose, but yet he had been increasingly aware of Jack's presence in his mind, and he found it comforting.

After all, he knew he would not be able to attempt what he was about to without Jack's full support. His confusion was receding to the excitement he felt running through his being at the thought of becoming the gold dragon again.

Keeping in mind the dragon's size from what he remembered, he made sure there was enough space between him and where Jack still sat on the blanket. He did not want to knock Jack over or make a mess of what they had with them for their picnic.

Satisfied with the distance, he turned to face Jack and took another deep breath. He closed his eyes, thinking of the gold dragon and held out his hands. He also saw the image of the dragon from Jack's perspective and the thrill the immortal man got from it. He held onto it as he sought within to find his dragon nature and called upon it.

He felt his body tingle and his blood felt as if it was boiling. He felt warmer within and radiating outward as the fire inside burned higher. He was Changing, he knew. Then came one of the two scary parts to him as he felt as if he was winking out of existence for a split second, and then he knew he was in the halfway stage of being half-dragon/humanoid shape. He knew he could stay in that form until he sought to either return back to his human form or continue his Change into a full dragon. They were there for him to learn to embrace the dragon nature so he pushed further. He sensed he was bathed in a swirling gold mist, which was new to him. The first two times his mind was hazed in golden images. Those images were still there, of what he what he wanted to be and as how Jack saw him, but golden. He felt Jack still in his mind and even that was coloured gold. He heard Jack gasp in his mind and felt astonishment and amazement come from the other man. The gold became blinding just before he felt that miniscule wink out of existence and then he Changed.

As the gold faded and he opened his eyes to find the beach going from golden to the dark landscape with city lights in the background and across the channel. He stretched his long sinewy neck and then craned it to look around him. His gaze settled on the distant lights of Clevedon, on the other side of the channel. For the first time he realized his vision was sharper, clearer. He cocked his large head in curiosity, knowing his hearing was sharper too. He lifted his head with his snout upward and sniffed the tangy sea breeze of the channel.

He swirled his neck around so he was facing Jack with large blue eyes, catching the look of pure amazement on the older man's face. He bobbed his head. "I seem to have heightened senses," he said to Jack, his voice deep and rumbling, and still with his thick Welsh accent.

"Did you notice that before?" Jack asked.

"I didn't notice if they were the other times."

"Your Change was different, but after seeing it, I remembered. It's been so long ago, I'm afraid I forgot some details, but I remembered now."

"The gold?" Ianto asked.

"Yes, the gold mist that surrounded you. I remember now that just before they Changed into their pure dragon form, a coloured mist would surround them – the colour of their dragon form." Jack studied Ianto and said, "Step back a bit, would you?"

Ianto did as told, but carefully as he still felt cumbersome and awkward in his bulky form until he cleared the area of his transformation and then sat on his back haunches. He looked around too, wondering what Jack was looking at.

"I don't see your shorts," Jack announced, excited. "I think the coloured mist is part of the magic used to Change without shredding your clothes." He grinned widely. "Now let's see if they stay intact when you Change back. Which won't be until you have a flying lesson." He glanced down at his hand, lifting it so Ianto could see his stopwatch. "It's been almost five minutes since you Changed."

"Is that so?" Ianto asked, amused at seeing the antique stopwatch. "Why don't I sit here and get used to being this large until I break my last record. Then I shall attempt to fly."

"Another 36 seconds," Jack announced. "I hope you're going to be quick in getting used to your dragon body. 32 seconds now."

Ianto snorted, and to his surprise a puff of smoke came from his nostrils. He chuckled. "And here I thought I had given up smoking."

Jack blinked at the smoke as it wisped through the cold air, tentacles spreading in lazy patterns in various directions. "Which reminds me of another lesson – firebreathing."

Ianto laughed as he already knew the answer as he sensed it within his dragon body. He lifted his head, his neck stretching upward. "That's the easy part," he replied and craned his neck so he was pointing toward the sea. He inhaled deeply, feeling the fires burn within him. He opened his mouth and willed the fires forth, lighting up the area with a blaze of fire.

"Fifteen feet, I'd say," Jack exclaimed. He climbed to his feet. "And we're past seven minutes. Still feeling dragon-y?"

"Is that even a word?" Ianto asked, looking back at Jack with a laugh.

"It should be. I think with you we might have to start a new lexicon, so I say it is."

"So noted," Ianto commented drily. "I'll be sure to record that first entry in the new DragonLord lexicon."

Jack laughed, still holding the pocket watch.

Ianto watched him, aware that he was looking down at the man before him. A man, who while they were near in height, he had always felt he looked up to. Of course, he did look up to Jack in a manner of speaking but it seemed to always make him cast his eyes upward whenever he looked at Jack. Now he was staring down. The human seemed so small to him now. In his mind, he recalled Jack's images of climbing onto Ianto's back to ride through the sky with Ianto. At the moment, he was small, but not too small. Just right, he mused and the thought made him smile.

He stood but remained on all four legs. "I think I'm ready to give this a try."

"Try not to just jump," Jack suggested. "Take advantage of the stretch of beach and run before jumping. Keep your wings low as you run and then spread them out just before you're ready to jump. Let the air catch your wings and use them to gain your momentum." Jack circled him as he spoke, looking up, his arms going through the motions of his descriptions. "DragonLords still have to follow the basic rules of aerodynamics."

"I guess since I don't have flaps and slats and rudders, once I break through the basics, it's all up to the DragonLord magic?"

"I guess. I never flew as a dragon myself," Jack said with a shrug. "All I can tell you are the basics."

"But I did fly once merely by jumping upward. That first time, there was no room in that house to run and catch the wind."

"You were acting purely on instincts and I think the ones that come with the first Change. After that, it's all about basics. I suspect once you get a better hang on it, you can create the basics magically, which is why you were able to that first time. But from watching the few younglings train, you can't master that part until you learn the basics of flight."

"Apparently I also need to learn the basics of magic too, which I think will prove more difficult than flight basics." He let out another smoky snort. "Hopefully there is something in those files once Tosh is able to translate it." He snorted again, expelling a larger billow of smoke. "Bloody Gwen and Owen with their playing around Tosh's computers."

"We didn't lose that much ground with the translation program, thankfully," Jack said. "And Owen was genuinely sorry once he realised exactly what his foolishness had done."

"I'll give Owen that," Ianto admitted, turning around to face the stretch of beach opposite their blanket.

"Does it bother you, too?" Jack asked, following Ianto and stopping before him.

"I don't blame Owen, because I know him. I thought I knew Gwen too, but she is a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. Just if she tries to rub her relationship with that boyfriend of hers in our faces again, well, I don't know what I will do."

"Do whatever you feel, Ianto. I'm not amused either, but we'll talk more later when you're back in your human form. For now, let's practice on your dragon one."

"So I attempt to take flight now."

"You are still maintaining your form, but we don't know how much longer we have. So get on with it."

Ianto waited for Jack to step back out of his way. He rose to his hind legs, reaching out with his front ones. His long neck stretched upward and embracing his dragon form, he lifted his head and opened his mouth, spewing flames upward.

'_This time it had to be at least 20 feet,'_ Jack Sent, very impressed with the sight before him. Ianto saw in his mind what Jack was seeing and spread his wings and flapped them a few times. He liked the image. No, he loved the image. He loved it all, he realized for the very first time he was not just riding on Jack's feelings about it. He was big and strong and powerful, and felt gold scales were much better than any coat.

'_Is that so?'_ Jack asked in his mind, sounding both amused and annoyed at the same time, which was also what he was feeling. Ianto knew that, but he also knew how he felt at that moment.

'_Sorry, but it's the truth. That's how I feel.'_ He reared his head and let out another flame. "Take off!" he shouted, pulling his wings in and low and started a dash along the beach. Using all fours, he charged, keeping his body low too until he felt something surge within him. He lifted his front bringing his wings up level with his body. As he felt the wind on his wings, he lifted his upper body. After a few move seconds of running he spread his wings fully and lifted them higher as he jumped.

He felt himself lifting from the ground.

'_Make a nice, steady ascent,'_ Jack urged from the ground below, running along the beach following him.

Ianto felt something in the wind and shifted his wings, allowing instinct to take over. Flying for dragons was second nature, and he felt it within him. Like a baby bird flying for the first time, he mused. He couldn't remember much about his first flight, or how he achieved it. He only remembered that he was flying. This was different. It was surreal to him as he felt strong wings surge up and down and revelled in it. He felt another moment when his wings caught the wind and he knew he had truly achieved flight. He tilted his wings and rolled his body as he made a turn toward the land and found himself flying over the green. He dipped his wings again and rolled his body again into the turn until he flew along the coastline. He saw Jack far below, now stopped and his hand cupping his eyes, looking upward.

'_You are beautiful,_' Jack exclaimed in his mind.

Ianto laughed, Sending it along their link, along with the exhilaration he felt. He dared to take a dive toward the ground, strafing the empty golf course below. Just when he thought he would have complete control over his form and flight, he felt a shift within him and he knew he was Changing back. He fought to keep control of his dragon form, but not only was it a losing battle but he had had also lost control of his flight. He started to fall as a golden mist started to swirl around him. Unconsciously he projected his fear down the link to Jack.

'_Try to stay in your middle form for as long as you can,'_ Jack Sent back. '_The fall shouldn't kill you, but it will hurt a lot less if you don't land in your human form.'_

Ianto felt Jack was truthful, but it did not stop the concern coming from the other man, who was running along the beach to the path they had used to go down to the beach from grassy area off the road where they had parked the SUV. Below him was the small lake on the golf course. He did not like the idea of making a hard landing in water. He was not even sure his race liked water at all, and decided not to find out in that way. He fought to hold onto his dragon form and managed to change the angle of his fall to bypass the lake just in time to feel himself change into his mid-form. Now without wings, he was definitely in a freefall, the ground coming up fast. He managed to hold that form until the last few feet of his fall, before his human body crashed to the grassy fairway of the golf course.

The wind was knocked out of him and he fell into darkness before he had a chance to react from the pain of the fall. Logically he knew his body should have been broken in more places than he knew he had when he opened his eyes again. He remained in the position he landed, his body aching all over and fearing moving would increase it. Yet he did not feel any broken bones, which amazed him. Breathing heavily, he reached out through the link like a beacon for Jack to find him. He finally dared to turn onto his back and nearly cried out in pain. He felt it wise to remain as he was, breathing heavily and waited until Jack found him before attempting to move again.

OoOoOoO


	5. Chapter 5

When Jack approached Ianto, the other man opened his eyes. Still prone, Ianto said, "It's about bloody time."

Knowing that Ianto was sore but otherwise fine, he looked down at him. "You could have picked a spot closer to the beach to crash, you know."

"I'm glad we picked a time after the golf course is closed, or else I would be writing a cover-up for a dragon falling on the 7th hole," Ianto grumbled.

Jack laughed.

"I take it that I'll live if you find this a bloody joke." Ianto dared to raise his head and winced.

"If you could complain like that, you have to be fine," Jack replied. "And you don't know the half of it. Bad enough a dragon dropping out of the sky, but also a naked man sprawled out in all his glory. And what a glory it is."

"What?" Ianto exclaimed, sitting up. "Ow! Fuck! That hurts!" He stared down at himself and forgot about his pain. "Bloody hell! Not another pair of shorts!"

"At least it was just the shorts." Jack dropped something next to Ianto. "To be safe, I grabbed your bag along the way. I don't mind seeing you in my coat, but tonight I'll be freezing without it, unlike you."

"You have a point there." Ianto smirked up at Jack as he reached for his clothes. "Thank you." He opened the bag and pulled out the spare clothes he had packed. After first putting on his shirt, because it was the easiest, and then slowly got to his feet with Jack's help. Jack lent him a shoulder as he got on his jeans. Once his jeans were on, he dropped to the ground to put on his trainers.

"Feeling better?" Jack asked.

"Better? No, not better. Am I able to move? Yes, but slowly," Ianto replied. He reached out for the hand that Jack held out for him and allowed the other man to help him to his feet.

With Jack's arm around Ianto's waist , they slowly made their way to the SUV. Jack had Ianto rest in the vehicle while he went back down to the beach to collect the rest of their belongings.

As exhilarated as Ianto still felt, Jack knew that Ianto was not going to be up to much except for sleeping when they got back. Ianto suggested they go back to the Hub for the night, in case he was still very sore in the morning, he would not have far to go.

Jack agreed because he did want Owen to check Ianto out, sore or not, come the next morning. Besides, if he was truly still hurting so much that it was hard to get around, Jack preferred having Ianto where he and the others could keep an eye on him.

OoOoOoO

The next morning, Ianto found that he was able to move, but he was still sore. He managed to keep the extent of his soreness from Jack because that was all it was. He was not physically injured and Owen confirmed it after Ianto endured the examination. Owen did announce that Ianto's metabolism was higher, as well as his core temperature, but could not see any stress to Ianto's body. Jack agreed with the doctor that it was a part of Ianto now. They had told Owen about the night before and he looked amazed that Ianto walked away from a crash landing with just residue soreness to show for it. Finally Ianto excused himself to make the coffee and head up to Reception, where he planned to spend the time working on the list for UNIT that Jack wanted done.

His mind was so much on the events of the night before and once again trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he really was a dragon, that he had kept his dragon form for a while, and had flown until he crash-landed on 7th hole of the Peterstone Lakes golf course, that it did not occur to him that Toshiko was late coming into work until he met her as they both tried to go through the secret door in Reception. Ianto stood aside and smiled at her, greeting her with a good morning and let her go on her way down into the Hub, and then went into the small space acting as a tourist office. He swore he caught a flash of guilt on Toshiko's face, but wrote it off because she was late. It happened rarely but it did happen that she wouldn't be the first to arrive after him, on the mornings that he actually did leave the Hub. On the nights that he didn't, it wouldn't be fair to say he was in first since no one thought of Jack being there first either, since he was already there.

He worked alone in the office on the list, knowing there was a carafe of coffee should she want a cup until he found his way down into the Hub for the mid-morning round.

OoOoOoO

Toshiko Sato sat in the boardroom, her laptop before her, running what results she was able to get so far from the translation program, and jotting down notes on how to readjust the program to fine tune the results. She got back garbled text interspersed with some words she was able to read. She thought it was either the program was disrupted more than she first thought when Owen and Gwen knocked the plugs to her system, or there were a lot of words and phrases unique to the Daikari lifestyle that did not translate well using basic parameters and she would have to find new parameters to set into place. There was also a third possibility; that she had set up the program wrong to start with. It was rare, but did happen occasionally, especially when her mind was occupied with other things.

She knew what the other thing could be. Since they had returned from Brynblaidd, there was something that they all had seemed to ignore, and it wasn't the discovery that Ianto was a DragonLord. She would think that if anyone to ignore it, it would be Gwen, and Gwen did everything to ignore it, even if at times she did her best to ignore Ianto when she could not avoid him. The Welshwoman made comments, knowing the others, especially Ianto, could hear her, and constantly hounded Jack that Ianto did not belong on the team.

Toshiko sighed, finding herself idly making an abstract figure when she should be writing out notes. Gwen was part of the problem. No, Gwen was a major part of the problem, and that bothered Toshiko. She had thought that she and Gwen were friends, at least friends enough to work together well, but she had to wonder sometimes. For a person who was hired for her compassion and ability to find facts when the others didn't, Gwen sure did not display it. She constantly made callous remarks about her relationship with her boyfriend, Rhys Williams, and the lack of relationships for her teammates. She was rude to Ianto ever since they returned from Brynblaidd, believing aliens did not belong on the team, especially if said alien was a fire-breathing dragon. Even if Toshiko did not feel as she did about her friend, she had thought it wise to be careful not to anger the usually quiet Welshman. Even before Brynblaidd, they all had learnt what an angry and pissed off Ianto was like, and Toshiko hoped to never see that directed at her, and would do everything in her power to prevent having a dragon angry at her. Gwen just did not seem to get that. Basically she did not see the facts in front of her; perhaps because when it came down to it, Gwen was more into herself and only saw the truth when it suited her. She did not see what an enormous advantage the team now had with an almost immortal dragon on their team. Ianto was kind and considerate and there was no one with a sense of loyalty like Ianto Jones. Instead of turning her away from Ianto after the Cyberwoman incident, seeing the amount of loyalty and love the Welshman could give only made Toshiko want to reach out and learn more about him. Now it seemed they were all learning more about Ianto together, for anyone who wanted to be part of it, that was. She admired her friend immensely, and found that she would follow Ianto anywhere if he asked, something she would not do for Gwen.

What did she get from Gwen since their trip to Brynblaidd? Betrayal, that's what. To think she was the one who was actually the least betrayed by Gwen. Toshiko thought of Gwen's boyfriend, Rhys Williams, who seemed like a very nice man. When Gwen joined Torchwood, Jack had Ianto keep a watch on not only Gwen, but Rhys, to be certain there would be no security risk. Ianto, along with Tosh, who was tasked to assist him, dug up enough on both Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams to get an overall idea of them both. Yet Toshiko still did not see Gwen getting into an affair with Owen. Owen, she was able to see. It was that part of his nature that made her glad nothing ever became of them. She did not want to become yesterday's news shortly after they would get together. She knew Owen and Gwen wouldn't last long and then things around the Hub should get very interesting.

She still had Gwen's and Owen's thoughts on her mind, and it disturbed her. It felt wrong. Worse, she felt like she would always see the two of them differently.

She took a frustrated breath and willed her mind to get back to her task. This was important to Ianto. She had always liked the young man since he had started at Torchwood Three. He was gentle, polite and kind. He also worked hard and was extremely intelligent. Another other than his wanting to save his girlfriend, he was dedicated. He was even more dedicated when he returned from his suspension. He was also sad and sometimes withdrawn, but she saw something in Ianto's eyes that she suspected he would get past it and maybe even find love again.

She sighed. She was doing it again. Why was she so distracted? Oh right, Gwen and Owen, having an affair and not making any attempts to hide it. Also their thoughts from earlier, which disturbed her very much. Then there was Mary. The vivacious blond she had met the night before who knew a lot about Torchwood, including their names and CVs. The woman who Toshiko had found herself talking about her job as she had never done before with an outsider. She felt guilty about that, feeling she had betrayed Jack's trust in her. She owed Jack so much for getting her life back again, and giving her this job. Anything would have been better than that cell in the UNIT facility, but what Jack offered her was beyond her wildest imagination. She would do anything for him, and had she betrayed him at the first promise of being able to talk. To a stranger, at that and it bothered her. Mary was also the one who had given her the pendant that allowed her to read thoughts. She had to wonder what type of family Mary had come from for such a thing to be passed down . in her family . Who was Mary to know where and how to find out about Torchwood on the internet?

Which reminded her that she had to let Ianto know of such a site, because he was also in charge of monitoring online activity that could be alien. Proving to be quite the hacker, Jack had put him in charge of also taking down those "the truth is out there" sites that had come too close to the truth. Jack felt that Toshiko would be taking a step back and wanted her on more complex computer tasks, but Ianto showed promise. It was practice to him, and he also assisted Toshiko when she needed help because Jack also thought that Ianto had much to learn, and both Jack and Toshiko believe he would become a master near equal to Toshiko.

She stared at the printouts from her program and cursed Gwen and Owen again for being so childish around expensive and extremely sensitive equipment. Her eyes drifted to her notebook and the blank page that had Philoctetes Minos in her handwriting on the top of the page. She had to stop this. All this wool-gathering was and getting nothing done, and she had a translation program that was spitting out gibberish that she needed to get working.

She heard footsteps coming toward the boardroom and looked up to find Ianto collecting abandoned coffee cups and saucers. He did not seem to notice her and had a pained expression on his face. Unconsciously, she touched the pendant.

_'Can't imagine the time when this isn't everything. Pain so constant, like my stomach's full of rats. Feels like this is all I am now. There isn't an inch of me that doesn't hurt.' _ She heard Ianto think as he worked.

He looked up at her suddenly, shock registering on his face before he smoothed his features and put on his polite face. He gave her a small smile. "I'm about to brew some of Jack's industrial strength coffee. Would you like a cup?"

Toshiko studied Ianto for a moment, realizing the she no longer was able to read him. It was as if he stopped thinking completely, but she was too concerned about the thoughts she had heard to think too much on it. Besides, it would be much like Ianto to hide away his hidden thoughts in front of someone, even if the someone was a friend. She gave him a gentle smile. "I'm… I'm fine. Thanks, Ianto." She smiled again.

He returned it with a small quirky one of his own before he turned and took the cups over to the station where his coffee machine was.

She was disturbed by what she head overhead. She thought Ianto had been doing much better since he returned back to work, and had been healing from losing Lisa. Now she wasn't so sure. She also knew he was confused and conflicted since learning about his dragon nature, and wondered if he was not handling that as well as he lead them to believe.

Toshiko felt for him, but did not know what to do. If she confronted Ianto, he would just deny it. She knew her friend enough to know that was his way. She couldn't go to Jack, because he would want to know how she knew. Owen would also ask, and she did not dare to go to Gwen. Who knew what Gwen would make of it, either not caring because it was Ianto, or go into overdrive on the phony bleeding heart act and make Ianto crazy. Along with the rest of them.

She was beyond frustrated now, and it was all because of the pendant. She yanked it off her neck and decided to forget about it and Mary and get back to her job. Perhaps once they have more than Ianto could read and learn of his race, it would help him accept what he was, and stop hurting so much.

OoOoOoO

Toshiko was sitting at her workstation, now with her mind fully on the translation program she was working on. When she gave Jack an update on the faulty translations, he had seemed upset. She almost wished she had been wearing the pendant just to hear what he really thought. He did not appear angry at her and did not blame her, but she wished she could be sure. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint Jack.

Jack was in the armory, studying the alien device they had found at the construction site, which Ianto was making their afternoon coffee. Other than Jack's tinkering with the device and the sounds of Ianto's machine as he made coffee, it was quiet. Owen was down in the autopsy bay, once again studying the skeleton, for what reason Toshiko did not understand. Whoever it was had been dead for centuries, and she would have thought that would be the end of it. It shouldn't have any importance to the here and now. They would most likely learn more through the device. She did wish she could study it more, but Jack seemed to make that his project, and was allowing Ianto in on the fun.

She took off her glasses and leant back in her chair, needing to take a short break. She had no idea where Gwen was, only knowing Jack had sent her off somewhere and was still out. She glanced back to Jack and curiosity got the better of her. The pendant was on around her neck before she knew it. At first it was as quiet as the Hub was.

Then she heard them, and it startled her.

'_Ianto, I think there shouldn't be any dragon practice tonight. I think we have some time before your next Change, since you did it twice so far,' _Jack's mindvoice spoke conversationally. Stretching as an excuse, she caught a glimpse of Jack, leaning over the device as if he had not done what he just had.

'What the hell?' Tosh thought, surprised.

'_That would be a relief,'_ Ianto replied in his mind. _'I wouldn't mind taking a break. Perhaps when I'm hurting less, and maybe by then I can land other than fall out of the sky._'

'_Yeah, I would imagine so. How about if it continues to remain quiet, I cut the kids loose early, and we can go back to yours. We can stop and do some shopping on the way, and I'll make you dinner.'_

She felt Ianto's surprise at Jack's last statement and just a bit of scepticism. '_You cook?'_ Ianto's voice asked.

'_Of course,'_ Jack replied. '_You don't get to be as old as I am without knowing __how __to cook.'_

'_Okay, but if you burn down my kitchen, you'll be finding me a new flat.'_

Jack laughed in his mind. _'If I do, I'll buy you a whole house, but you better be happy with your flat, because that is so not going to happen.'_

Ianto sighed in his mind as he started carefully down the stairs, carrying a tray with their afternoon coffee fix. '_Right. I'll try anything once.'_

His face reflected nothing of the internal conversation he was having with Jack. She also could not sense the morose mood from earlier in the day. In fact, he seemed light-hearted as he bantered with Jack. 'Telepathically,' Toshiko thought. 'They're reading each other's minds and don't realise someone else can listen in.' She quickly pulled off the pendant, knowing she was listening in to something intimate.

Which was yet another surprise to her. She was amazed enough when Ianto returned from his suspension, all the mean and ugly things he had said to Jack on the night the Cyberwoman was loose in the Hub were forgotten. The two men seemed to be building a friendship again. Of course, there was the flirting, but she never thought it would go anyway. Especially after Lisa, Toshiko did not consider that Ianto would allow more than friendship with Jack.

This was just shocking, perhaps even more than Gwen and Owen's affair. She lowered her head as it came to her that once again, she was alone. Owen had Gwen and Ianto and Jack seemed to be together. Leaving her as the fifth wheel.

She suddenly had a strong desire to flee the Hub, but knew she couldn't without bringing up questions she could not answer.

An hour later, Gwen was back in the Hub, and Jack called it a day. As Toshiko gathered her stuff to leave, she had to admit that she was glad for Ianto and Jack. It was a shame she couldn't feel the same about Gwen and Owen. She only hoped that Ianto wouldn't be sick the next day because she honestly did not think Jack could possibly cook.

She was still in a bad mood when she came across Mary, who was sitting on the wall surrounding the park across from her flat.

"Might have known you'd have my address as well," she snarked to the blond woman.

OoOoOoO


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Fires Within 6/7  
Series: DragonLord  
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Ianto, Toshiko, Gwen, Owen; Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Owen, Gwen/Rhys, Tosh/Mary  
Word Count(this part): 3821  
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did, nobody would have to write these type of fics. The BBC and He Who Does Not Know How To Treat His Characters claims it as theirs. I'm just borrowing them to keep dreams alive.  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Torchwood S1, especially "Greeks Bearing Gifts"  
Summary: Ianto is trying to come to terms with his dragon nature. A revision of "Greeks Bearing Gifts" in the DragonLord verse. Sequel to "Fires That Burn".  
Beta by: Milady Dragon  
Notes: I am not going to cover the entire episode, unless something different happens in the story. Most of this story is a behind the scenes with Ianto and Jack as Ianto discovers more of his dragon nature.  
Additional note: In "Fires That Burn" Ianto's race was referred to as "dragonkind". Since I wrote that story, I decided if I was going to continue it, they would be DragonLords, however dragonkind can also be used as a generic term to were-dragons. Some of the concepts behind the DragonLords are from "The Last DragonLord" by Joanne Bertin.

Written for the Long Live Ianto bingo prompt: Psychic Links, and Cotton Candy Bingo prompt: Finding Self.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

Much to Ianto's surprise, Jack did indeed know how to cook, and very well at that. In fact, Jack appeared to be enjoying himself as he worked in the kitchen, allowing Ianto to assist in prepping the food, and even ended up giving him tips on the finer points of the various ways to cut, slice and dice.

It seemed so normal and domestic as Jack worked on dinner in his trousers and a black tee-shirt, minus his work shirt and braces. It was something Ianto never thought he would associate with Jack.

Thankfully the Rift remained quiet and they had a pleasant gourmet meal compliments of Jack. Ianto wondered if he could get Jack to make them dinner more often, at least maybe once every other week. After they ate, they relaxed in the lounge and watched some movies before they went into Ianto's bedroom.

The next morning Ianto found himself cleaning around the Hub, while Jack stood near the stairs to the autopsy bay. He could hear Gwen's singing and Owen's grumbling, trying to get Gwen to shut up. Ianto had to admit that this time, they were amusing. He would have joined in himself to get digs on the doctor if he thought his presence wouldn't kill the mood. Jack was laughing as he watched Gwen tease Owen. After all, it wasn't always that Owen was so wrong on an initial assessment of a situation, and for being the prat he usually was, he deserved everything Gwen was giving him. At least Owen should be glad that Jack was allowing Gwen to tease him instead of giving him a reprimand.

Ianto turned at the sound of the blast door rolling back, while the alarm sounded and lights flashed to find Toshiko entering the Hub. Jack didn't seem to notice as he started to laugh again. Ianto smiled at the Japanese woman. "Good morning Toshiko. Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh, good morning Ianto. Yes, please. I would love some."

As Ianto went to make Toshiko's coffee, she went over to the autopsy bay, curious on what was going on. Ianto shook his head in amusement, noting that the Japanese woman seemed to be in a much better mood than the day before. Not that he thought anything strange about it. After all, he was also in a much better mood than the night before, thanks to a home cooked meal and a pleasant lazy evening with Jack which ended with great sex. He could not help be in a good mood. Also all the aching from his crash landing was gone.

It still boggled his mind that he had actually survived a fall like that, and with no broken bones to show for it. Even more was the reason for his fall. Hell, he had turned into a dragon and was flying until he suddenly started to Change back to his human form.

They had decided that Ianto should stay on the ground until he was able to master how long he wanted to maintain his dragon form.

After the others left, Jack bustled Ianto to his car and they drove to Newport. Along the way, Ianto looked over at Jack. "There's something not right with Toshiko," he stated.

Jack spared a glance over at Ianto before putting his attention on the road again. "How worried should I be?" he asked. "You said the same thing about Suzie. Unfortunately I didn't listen to you then."

"So I have your attention?"

"I would say she's a little off," Jack admitted. "Has been the last couple of days."

"Yes," Ianto agreed. "She has been."

"I'm wanting to put it down to Gwen getting involved with Owen, and they're not bothering to hide it. Knowing how Tosh feels about Owen, I'm guessing it's upsetting her."

"I should reach out to her then," Ianto stated.

"That might be a good idea."

"I'll ask her tomorrow if she would like a movie night. She usually enjoys them."

Jack remained quiet as he drove the car along the motorway toward Newport. "She's definitely distracted," he finally said, breaking the silence. "After yesterday's fit when Owen and Gwen disrupted the translation program…."

"More like bring it to an abrupt halt and lose some of her progress," Ianto cut in.

"That too, but you know her. She should be like a pit bull on that program, especially since she knows how important it is. Not just knowledge for you, but possibly for your well-being. Yet, she's been distracted."

"I noticed that too," Ianto said.

"Ianto," Jack asked, "does Tosh do pop quizzes?"

Ianto stared at Jack. "Pop quizzes? If she does, I don't know about it. Did she tell you she did?"

"When she followed me back to my office, she asked the most random question. She asked if I knew of Philoctetes." Jack shrugged as he continued to drive. "She might have been telling the truth. I don't know. I was distracted at the time, as I was calling the prime minister. Now that I had time to think about it, it just seems strange. Something about the way she said she loved pop quizzes seemed forced."

"Like she was making it up?" Ianto asked.

"Exactly like that."

Ianto leaned back in his seat. "I'll ask her tomorrow about movie night, and meanwhile I'll keep an eye on her. It just could be that she's feeling out of sorts because of the other two." He shook his head. "I thought you said Gwen's so compassionate? Honestly, you would think that after Brynblaidd that Gwen would have gotten a clue about how Tosh feels about Owen." He looked out the window at the passing landscape and noticed Jack went past the turnoff for the beach. Looking back at Jack, he stated, "You missed our turn."

"Not yet," Jack replied. "That's on the way back. I thought tonight we'd finally go to the storage facility and go through whatever is left of the ship. We keep saying we'll do it but we never do. So tonight we do. Then if you're up to it, we can stop for some dragon practice. If not, then we can just go back to your flat."

"You seem to be inviting yourself over a lot," Ianto observed.

Jack glanced at Ianto and hid a smirk. "Fine, we can go back to the Hub if you prefer. You can even drop me off if you don't want to stay."

"Bastard," Ianto muttered, but found he could not sound as annoyed as he hoped.

OoOoOoO

Jack led Ianto through the warehouse which was a Torchwood storage facility. Ianto knew of it, but never had the opportunity to go there yet. It housed some of the larger items that were too bulky to get down into the Archives. They had to go through a high fence that Jack had used his wrist strap on to open the gate, and once the car was through, he stopped to close it. Alien security technology helped keep the place safe, the technology provided for by Torchwood One years before the London division fell. It was the same type used on all the warehouses One had around London and surrounding areas, warehouses that someday he was to take Jack on a tour of.

The security system included a perception filter. It did not make the building invisible, but managed to make the building with the shabby old exterior not noticeable to anyone passing by, and included the fence. Apparently only Jack had the code to open the gates without alarms going off in the Hub and the defence system engaging. Jack stopped before the main door, which looked rusty enough to make Ianto wonder if it would actually open. Once Jack gave the correct code and provided his voice, handprint and retina scan after the first code and completed it with a second, the door slid effortlessly open, revealing a clean (if not dusty) hallway. Through the lights which turned on near the door, Ianto noticed that the hallway was wide, with metal bulkheads of a bluish-grey and went about halfway down the length of the warehouse. As they walked down the hall, doorways were placed to signify rooms of various sizes. Jack took Ianto the far end, motion lights turning themselves on along the upper level of the bulkheads and the ceiling as they passed. When they stopped before double doors at the end of the hall, Jack went through the same security checks as at the door to the warehouse.

The doors slid open and Jack went through, indicating for Ianto to follow him. Jack used his wriststrap to turn on the lights. The warehouse reminded him of Torchwood One, using alien tech everywhere to protect their own. Only in this case it wasn't as much pompous but necessary in assuring whatever was housed in there was protected from getting in the wrong hands.

Ianto stopped just a few feet inside the big room, his eyes fixed on the partially dismounted spacecraft before him. "Is that?"

Jack turned to face Ianto. "Yes, it was your birth parents'." He started a slow walk around the craft.

Ianto slowly walked up to it and studied the panels that remained on the craft.

"This isn't even half of what it was," Jack said when Ianto came to his side. "Basically the cockpit and a general area. The engines and the computer system were stripped. I think the parts may still be here. The stardrive was brought back to the Hub." They stopped at the backend of the ship, which was stripped open. "It was a luxury pleasure craft.

Ianto looked inside. "Doesn't look very luxurious to me, but I suspect that was Torchwood's doing."

"Of course. There were cabins in the craft. A crew cabin and two very luxurious ones. Extremely posh, but as I said, it was a luxury craft. I don't know if your family was well off, or if they knew someone who was."

"What if they were part of the crew?" Ianto asked.

"It could be possible," Jack admitted, "but from the clothing they wore, I doubt it."

Ianto continued to gaze into the ship. "The radiation?" he asked. "I assume it's safe?"

"It was shortly after it crashed here. It broke up in planetary atmosphere. It's only lethal in space when not contained. The pilot succumbed first to it. Unfortunately everyone else was exposed enough that there was no saving them by that point."

Ianto sighed as he gazed into the ship. He glanced back at Jack, who made a motion with his head and hand to indicate Ianto could go closer, so that was what he did. As he reached the opening, he put out his hand to touch the metal. Suddenly everything went blindingly white on him for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, he swore he was able to describe his birth parents.

Instinctively, he jerked his hand away from the metal as it happened, and staggered back a step, overwhelmed by the flash he was struck by. Jack was next to him, a steadying hand on his back. "Are you okay, Ianto?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah," Ianto replied slowly. "I… think so." He glanced at the ship.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"I…." Ianto started and found himself staring inside the shell of the spacecraft. He shook his head. "I had a flash image of a woman with a long mane of raven hair and bright violet eyes. She was beautiful, and very pregnant."

"Kianti had long black hair," Jack said slowly. "I can remember her eyes because I never saw such remarkable violet eyes before."

"There was a man with her, taller, muscular, also with dark hair and blue eyes. I think my colour, and he had a button nose."

Jack laughed. "Your mother also had one. It's no wonder you have the most adorable nose I have ever seen," he said with a small smile. Suddenly he grew serious. "I can't tell you about your dad's eyes, but otherwise, that does sound like him." He studied Ianto. "You saw them?"

"Just a flash of an image. Of them inside a cabin. He was talking to her stomach."

Jack smiled softly, "Your father was talking to you in the womb."

Ianto blinked, looking startled and then nodded, with a tiny smile. "Yeah. If she was pregnant with me, he was." He sighed heavily and turned back toward the craft. "Can you miss someone you never knew? Or even knew about until recently?"

Jack moved his arm so it went around Ianto's waist and pulled him close. "It's possible. Daikarans are strong telepaths and empaths, especially when it involves family bonds. It makes sense that the impressions of your parents can be seen by you by touching something."

"Even after all these years?"

Jack shrugged. "Remember the ghost machine? Those impressions were from a much longer time." With his free hand he indicated inside the craft. "That ship has many impressions of those who travelled in it. If it was a privately owned one, then there are plenty of ghost impressions of everyone on the ship."

Ianto took a deep breath and moved away from Jack. He cleared his mind as he stepped into the craft. He looked around at the stripped bulkheads. He reached out and rested his palm on a smooth shiny panel that was left intact.

The flash of white light filled his mind again and he closed his eyes, his mind filling with images. He found himself smiling as images of his parents around the cabin. He felt their love for each other, their unborn child and the other man who was his grandfather. His smile grew until he opened his eyes, knowing Jack was also inside the cabin but staying out of his personal space, at least until Ianto looked at him. Jack closed the space between them and hugged Ianto close.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Ianto nodded, gazing at Jack. "Yes. I am. And now I'm most anxious for Tosh's translation program to start producing results so I can learn more of my birth family."

"It's Tosh. She should have it soon." Jack shrugged. "When she's not so distracted."

"My guess is that should be when Owen and Gwen stop flaunting that affair of theirs around her."

"Yeah. Something has to be done about that," Jack agreed. Taking Ianto's hand in his, he led Ianto from the inside of the ship

They ended up going through some of the other rooms in the warehouse, collecting whatever was there from the Daikaran ship that they were able to fit in Ianto's car, and then went to the beach where Ianto managed to Change again. He remained a dragon for over an hour until he felt it was enough for the time. He did attempt to fly, which turned out to be wobbly, unlike the graceful ease Ianto always thought the way dragons flew.

They went back to the Hub and went through what they had returned with. Jack left Ianto on his own with some of the belongings that had been salvaged and stored in the warehouse in Newport. Ianto was able to sense feelings off some of the items, the ones that seemed to be personal belongings, like viewers for reading and watching videos. Suddenly he had inspiration and went through the pack they placed the smaller articles in. He found what he was looking for, or at least he was certain it was. They were small thumbnail data sticks. He studied one and then one of the viewers, the one that looked like it was not damaged. It was a purplish colour with grains of pink and blue. From the senses he got from it when he held it, he knew it had once belonged to Kianti. With a grin, he put the stick into the small slot that was the same shape of the data stick. He pushed the button he knew to be the power button and waited.

Suddenly there were images of who Ianto now recognized as his birth father. Rahlatin Sagosha was tall, over six and a half feet tall, with long dark hair pulled back and braided. As Ianto thought, he had blue eyes the same colour as Ianto's, along with the same eye shape. Looking at the man as he walked through a clearing, Ianto knew that was his father from his looks. Ianto smiled more. He would never be able to meet his birth parents, but at least he had this. He hoped many of the data sticks were family video, so he could at least get to know them.

Suddenly a lithe laugh of a female came from the viewer. Ianto felt his heart stop for a moment and then a fluttering warmth filled him within. The same voice spoke and Ianto realized it was in Standard Galactic. He understood enough to know his mother and father were on royal gardens. His father's name was mentioned and he also heard Eiene. Apparently his mother was speaking to her unborn child, to him. Kianti continued to speak, Rahlatin moved further away. He turned to face Kianti and with a smile, he Changed into a large black dragon, ebony scales glittering in the bright sun. Ianto's jaw dropped as he gazed in awe at the dragon who unfurled mighty wings and took off into the sky with a mighty roar. The recorder followed him, while Kianti continued to speak in Standard Galactic. Ianto made out only part it, having studied some of the language but not yet mastering being fluent in it.

Ianto stopped it and studied the viewer some more. Feeling bold, knowing what he held in his hand was not likely to blow up or be used to take over the world, he started pushing buttons and hitting play until the language that came out of the viewer was in a language Ianto thought he recognized as being the same from one of the data sticks, that Jack said sounded to him like a pilot's flight log.

Raising an eyebrow, he stood up and facing toward Jack's office, he called out, "Jack! I could use your expertise please."

Jack came bounding from his office and came over to the couch where Ianto was sitting. "Please tell me you found one of your parents' sex toys and we're going to distract me from the UNIT paperwork I'm working on."

Ianto glared at Jack. "Oi! Gross, Jack. Please do not ever use sex toys and my parents in the same sentence again, thank you."

Jack grinned. "Well, a guy's gotta hope, yeah?"

"No," Ianto remarked. He held up the viewer. "I think we might have more resources to pull translations from. I think this translates the Daikaran language into Standard Galactic Standard, which I know you speak, and Tosh can speak some of it. More than I can, at least."

Jack looked amazed and took the viewer from Ianto, who had already pressed the play button. At first he heard a female voice speak in what he recognised as the Daikaran language as a black dragon flew in the sky. Ianto stood up and pressed another button.

"That's your father?" Jack asked, remembering that all those years ago, Kianti mentioned that her mate was a black dragon.

"Yes. Rahlatin she called him."

"The woman speaking, your mother."

"Yes, my mother," Ianto replied quietly.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"Oh yeah," Ianto replied with a small smile. "Very much." He continued to gaze at the image of the black dragon. His grin grew as his gaze shifted from the screen to Jack. "I'm a bloody dragon!" he announced.

Jack laughed. "Well not at this moment but yes, you are." He pointed to the screen. "Now you need to fly like that."

"I'll work on it," Ianto replied.

"And yes, it's a viewing device that is also a translation program, and I do understand everything being said. I'll sit down with Tosh tomorrow and see if we can get the translation program going faster." He gave the viewer back to Ianto and slipped an arm around Ianto's waist. "Do you want to watch more or distract me from finishing those reports for UNIT?"

"You should get them done tonight," Ianto said in an admonishing tone. "However, I am willing to help, so you can be finished sooner, and I'll make it worth your time after."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup." Ianto smiled at him and placed the viewer on the coffee table among the other things. As much as Ianto wanted to stay up all night and go through everything, he knew it would be wiser not to. It meant for a while there would be something new for him to discover about his true heritage and family, and he liked the idea very much. "I'll make us some coffee and I'll join you in your office."

"I'll be waiting." Jack waggled his eyebrows before going back in his office.

OoOoOoO

The next morning, while Jack and Ianto were having their breakfast on the couch, the phone in the office rang. Jack went into the office to answer the call. When he came out a few minutes later he had his coat on. "Ianto, I'll be back in a while."

"Something the matter, sir?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jack replied, looking thoughtful. "Detective Inspector Henderson wants to talk to me. He said it's something about someone on my team. He won't say anything else until I get there. Is there anything you might know?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Unless he saw dragons flying over the golf course outside of Newport."

"I doubt that," Jack replied. "Besides, I can see him wanting to talk about dragons, but I hardly think it would concern one of us." He gave Ianto a roguish grin. "Even if it does. Hold down the fort while I'm gone. I hope to be back before the others are to be in." He started to leave the Hub, but stopped before the gate. "Oh, I need you to play around with our alien stapler while I'm gone. If we can't figure it out by today, I say lock it up in the Archives in the unknown section."

"I'll see what I can do," Ianto replied. He watched as Jack left and then got up and went over to the table in the armoury to look over the alien device found with the skeleton, the same skeleton that Owen was still amazingly obsessed with. Ianto doubted he would get far being it was so old, and probably had nothing to do them now. He figured Jack would let Owen keep on it until a case came up that did have to do with their current time and order the doctor to work on that.

OoOoOoO


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Fires Within 7/7  
Series: DragonLord  
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Ianto, Toshiko, Gwen, Owen; Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Owen, Gwen/Rhys, Tosh/Mary  
Word Count(this part): 3821  
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did, nobody would have to write these type of fics. The BBC and He Who Does Not Know How To Treat His Characters claims it as theirs. I'm just borrowing them to keep dreams alive.  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Torchwood S1, especially "Greeks Bearing Gifts"  
Summary: Ianto is trying to come to terms with his dragon nature. A revision of "Greeks Bearing Gifts" in the DragonLord verse. Sequel to "Fires That Burn".  
Beta by: **milady_dragon**  
Notes: I am not going to cover the entire episode, unless something different happens in the story. Most of this story is a behind the scenes with Ianto and Jack as Ianto discovers more of his dragon nature.  
Additional note: In "Fires That Burn" Ianto's race was referred to as "dragonkind". Since I wrote that story, I decided if I was going to continue it, they would be DragonLords, however dragonkind can also be used as a generic term to were-dragons. Some of the concepts behind the DragonLords are from "The Last DragonLord" by Joanne Bertin. This is the last chapter, but more DragonLord verse in the works.  
Written for the Long Live Ianto bingo prompt: Psychic Links, and Cotton Candy Bingo prompt: Finding Self.

Much thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, faved and followed! *hugs*

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
**  
Ianto was in the Tourist Information office, his thoughts on Toshiko. Once again she arrived after Gwen and Owen. The other two were already at work for a while when the Japanese technician entered the TI office, carrying a tray of coffee. She seemed in a good mood. There was something different about her, but Ianto could not figure it out. He intended to tell Jack about it. Much to his surprise, Toshiko handed him one of the coffees, stating that no one ever got him coffee. He was touched and smiled as he thanked her. Of course, she did not know that Jack had got him coffee at times. Especially when Jack stayed over, but was out of the bed hours before Ianto woke. He would wake up to a cup of coffee from a café he liked near his flat. He smiled after Toshiko went down to the Hub, thinking that since they had returned from the countryside, Jack had spent almost every day at his flat and the days he did not, Ianto had stayed over in the Hub. Ianto realised that at some point, he might have to take some time to figure out what did it all mean.

OoOoOoO

Jack entered the TI office, a distracted look on his face. Earlier Jack had stopped on his way in and told Ianto that DI Henderson showed him the police report and Toshiko's statement because she had stopped a man from murdering his ex-wife and son. The Captain had then went down to confront Toshiko. It only added to Ianto's worry about her.

"She tried to read my mind!" Jack announced, stopping next to Ianto behind the counter.

"Pardon?" Ianto asked.

"Toshiko just tried to read my mind. And was asking questions about the teleport device," the Captain stated.

Ianto looked surprised for a moment and then thought back. "How do you know?"

Jack tapped the side of his head. "I always keep my walls up, except for you, but that's just you knowing how to get past them and only when I want you to."

"So you think Toshiko can read minds?"

"I have no idea what's going on, but I can be sure it hasn't always been that way. How long, I can't tell you, but it has to be recent."

Ianto paled. "Oh God," he muttered.

"What?"

"We've been Mindspeaking when in the Hub."

"Oh yeah, right. Damn, we broadcast when we do that."

"So Tosh could have heard us then?"

"It's possible."

"Great," he muttered.

"I'd rather Tosh hear us than Owen or Gwen," Jack stated.

"I'll have to agree with that," Ianto said. He started to frown. "So why is Tosh asking questions about alien tech something to be worried about?"

"It's not the questions she asked, it was how she asked them. It just didn't feel like Tosh."

"Are you saying we have an imposter?" Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head. "No, not an imposter, but I felt as if her questions weren't to satisfy her own natural curiosities. Listen, I don't want Gwen and Owen to know until we find out what's going on. In the meantime, put up your walls and keep an eye on her. We'll compare notes after I send everyone home."

"Got it."

Later that day, after they discussed it more, both Jack and Ianto were convinced something very wrong was up with Toshiko. Ianto admitted to having a nagging feeling that it had something to do with what they both knew was a transporter found with the skeleton that Owen was still obsessing with. Jack started to lean toward believing Ianto might be right after Owen gave him his latest update on the skeleton and some of the research he had done.

It was later in the evening, Jack sending the team home hours ago. Toshiko and Gwen had both left shortly after Jack called it a day, while Owen opted to stay behind to do further research. The medic also had a feeling and he wanted to follow-up on it or it would never let him rest. Jack allowed him, saying he was going out for a while and would come back later with dinner.

Ianto had gone home to pack a change of clothes, deciding he would be staying at the Hub for a few days, giving him the chance to go through the items they had brought back from the Newport warehouse. Even without knowing the language, there was still a lot to go through, and Ianto discovered he enjoyed looking at the videos of his family while back on Daikari. Jack also enjoyed watching them, bringing back more memories of his time spent on that world and remembering more of the races that inhabited the world. He would also translate while Ianto set the viewer for Standard Galactic. It would have to do for now, because it seemed as if Toshiko's mind was not on the translation program, which only added to Jack's suspicion that something was up with their technician. He only hoped it wasn't as bad as what had happened to Suzie, or as horrible as Ianto's secret until the Cyberwoman attempted to take over the Hub.

Only time would tell what it was, and Jack hoped he would find out before it was too late. It would be nice if it was soon, and he could help the Japanese genius get back on track.

Jack decided to go to Cardiff Castle, and stood on the battlements looking over the city, waiting for Ianto to join him. Then they would go back to the Hub in Ianto's car, stopping to pick up dinner on the way.

Everything about Tosh seemed to come to a head with a phone call from Owen, telling Jack that he needed to get back to the Hub immediately and look over what the doctor had found. He got the call a few minutes after Ianto had called, saying he was nearing the carpark for Cardiff Castle. After ending the call with Owen, he called Ianto, telling his lover that he was on the way to the carpark and they were going to bypass dinner, going straight to the Hub.

OoOoOoO

When Toshiko entered with Mary, she was certain they would be the only ones there. Jack had mentioned going out with Ianto, and she was certain Owen would be waiting at his flat for another rendezvous with Gwen. The last she had seen the transport device; it had still been on the table in the back area of the armoury. The plan was simple, to go in and let Mary have the transport and then leave.

It didn't work as she had planned. For one, the transport device was nowhere in sight. Not at first. Not until Jack appeared on the upper walkway, carrying it and babbling on about someone named Vincent, who was acting out of character and became a Vanessa.

To Toshiko's shame, she knew Jack was onto her to some degree. It had to have been when she attempted to read his mind to find out if he knew anything about the device. It had not only startled her, but shook her when she encountered nothing from Jack.

Suddenly as Jack talked, Toshiko realised that the rest of the team were already in the Hub when they came in, because Gwen, Owen and Ianto were now there, surrounding her and Mary as Jack finished his story.

OoOoOoO

Ianto stood behind Toshiko just inside an archway, hands in pockets and trying not to look too threatening. He made sure he was in an area of the Hub where he would be able to Change – if he was once again able to on command. Whether half-dragon or full, he was not sure. He wasn't sure it would be best to Change. He was going to let the situation dictate what. Jack and Ianto made certain they were able to communicate but still block their minds from anyone other than each other reading their thoughts.

As Jack approached Toshiko and Mary, and had Mary's attention, Ianto noticed Toshiko putting on the new necklace he noticed her wearing in the past few days. On the way back to the Hub, Ianto had mentioned the necklace, and pointed out something that had occurred to him while he was in his flat. Unlike other pieces of jewellery the women wore, this one would be on and off throughout the day. Ianto suddenly had an insight on what was happening and Jack had quickly agreed with him. It was then they decided to make sure their Mindspeak was to be exclusively between them. Jack added it might be a better idea to practice it all the time, rather than projecting their thoughts.

Ianto watched Owen start to make a move towards Toshiko and Mary as if to charge them, but Mary, to everyone's surprise, was faster. Much faster. She sped around the Hub at lightning speed and suddenly she had a hold on Toshiko at knife point.

'Don't, Ianto,' he heard Jack's voice in his head. 'Not yet.'

'Just give me the word, sir.'

Their suspicions about the necklace proved to be true when Mary said to Toshiko, "Did you hear him? He didn't want to, did he?"

Owen looked surprised, while Gwen seemed confused and curious.

"Please don't," Toshiko begged, looking terrified.

Ianto wanted to Change right then and get his friend away from the blond stranger in the Hub, but knew timing was everything. With the knife Mary had, Tosh's throat could be torn out before he could do anything about it.

"That's what they think of you," Mary taunted Toshiko. "That's who you've been working with for all these years."

"It's not true, Tosh," Owen stated, "don't listen."

"But not me," Mary cooed. "Whatever I've done, it doesn't change the way I feel about you. We have a connection, Toshiko, something real."

Ianto rolled his eyes. _Oh please, if that isn't the oldest trick in the book. Please don't let Toshiko fall for it,_ he thought, allowing Jack to hear him.

_I agree,_ Jack replied. _Enough is enough. Ianto, follow my lead._

Ianto heard Jack's voice in his mind again, but he knew this time he was not the only one to hear. _Toshiko, don't move. Don't do anything until I say._

"Please," Toshiko pleaded again to Mary.

"Ok," Jack said to Mary, "you want the transporter, we want Toshiko. I think that's a fair swap. Keep the knife and I'll give you the transporter myself."

Mary's attention was on Jack and she gazed greedily at the device in Jack's arms. She let go of Toshiko and Ianto moved as Tosh ran to him. He took her by her hand and pulled her behind him. He looked down at her and thought, _Be ready to clear me if I have to Change._ He winked at her when she looked up with wide eyes and then nodded.

Ianto made sure he stayed between Mary and Toshiko as Jack continued to entice Mary with the transporter. Jack moved into Mary's personal space, still holding the transporter close to him.

Mary leaned over and sniffed Jack. "You smell… different than them."

"That's nothing. It's when you compare teeth with a British guy, that's when it's really scary." Jack was oozing charm and bravado. Ianto knew Jack was purposely releasing his pheromones.

"What are you?" Mary asked.

"I don't know," Jack replied.

"And you would have put me in a cage?"

_Now Ianto. Just Change._

Ianto took a deep breath and envisioned the halfway stage. He felt himself Change, and too late remembered that he had not quite mastered how not to destroy his clothes during a Change. His clothes started rip as his body changed and he grew taller.

Mary's head whipped around and stared in shock at the half-dragon being that stood where Ianto Jones had moments ago, wearing shreds of the suit he was wearing.

"What are you?!" she exclaimed.

Toshiko smirked as she stood at Ianto's side. "I'll bet you didn't find this on the internet."

While Mary's attention was on Ianto, Jack shoved the transporter into Mary's hands. The knife dropped as Mary had to grasp it before it fell.

A whoosh sound echoed around the Hub.

Mary's head whipped from the dragon-man who had a long muscular scaly arm protectively around Toshiko to Jack, who had stepped back and had a wicked grin on his face.

"What's happening?" Mary demanded.

"Oh, that," Jack replied off-handedly. "I reprogrammed it for you. It's set to enable."

A bright light filled the Hub, everyone but Ianto and Jack shielding their eyes. "Sort of now," Jack finished when Mary disappeared.

"What did she…?" Toshiko asked, sounding upset. She started to go over to Jack, but Ianto did not release his hold on her, keeping her in place. She looked from Jack, up to Ianto. "Has she gone home?"

Meanwhile Gwen had backed as far as she could across the Hub from Ianto, staring terrified at him.

"I reset the coordinates," Jack snapped, looking pleased with himself.

"Where to?" Toshiko demanded.

"To the centre of the sun. It shouldn't be hot. I mean, we sent her there at night and everything," Jack replied flippantly.

"You killed her!" Toshiko accused.

"Yes," Jack replied, looking serious. He stared at Toshiko, daring her to say anything else, while Toshiko glared at him. Jack looked at Ianto. "Clear the Hub," he demanded to the others.

"What?" Gwen demanded from her place across the Hub.

"I said clear the Hub. Let Ianto Change back and find some clothes. Go up to reception. We'll call you when it's safe. And Tosh? You're not done for the night."

Toshiko was looking down, trying not to cry. Ianto pulled her to him and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I know more than anyone how it feels, but also that this was necessary. I'm sorry, Tosh."

Toshiko tried to give Ianto a brave smile as she remembered Lisa and hugged him back. She walked away from Ianto and over to the cog wheel door. Gwen broke into a run to join Toshiko, giving Ianto a wide berth. Owen went over to Ianto.

"You do know I'm your doctor, right?"

"As long as I don't hear about losing my clothes for the next week or so."

"Too late for that, scaly-boy." Owen smirked and instead of heading to follow the women, he went towards the autopsy bay. "When everything is settled here, I want to give you a check up."

"That will be after Ianto interviews Toshiko," Jack said.

"Could I ask you to get my clothes from your office?" Ianto asked.

"Oh yeah. I guess that would be a good idea." Jack rested a hand on the hard muscled golden chest.

"Save it, Jack," Ianto warned. "I'm glad you seem to find me appealing like this, but it's going to take a while before we do anything with me like this."

"Spoil sport," Jack remarked and headed for this office.

Ianto decided to wait until he saw Jack leave his office with one of the spare suits Ianto bought back with him and a white shirt before he changed back to human. He stared mournfully down at the ruined suit and shirt in shreds around him. Jack approached and pulled a strip of fabric from his shoulder that was part of his shirt and Ianto sighed heavily.

"This time you ruined a suit in the line of duty, so we'll get you a new one and put it down as an expense," Jack said.

"And hopefully I won't destroy that one either."

"Here, I'll give you a hand and then I want you to take Toshiko into the boardroom and interview her."

"She's not happy with you right now."

"I know, that's why it's going to be you. As you said to her, you were there once, so I think you'll be the best for her to feel comfortable with."

"I'll do my best." Ianto allowed Jack to help him as he quickly got dressed, and then he went up to reception to get Toshiko while Jack went into his office.

OoOoOoO

Jack returned to the Hub after sitting outside with Toshiko. By the time she left Ianto in the boardroom, she knew she could not be mad at what Jack had done. It still hurt losing Mary, but after how the night went, she had started to question if Mary did love her after all, or was she just using Tosh as a pawn. The worst part was that unexpectantly, Toshiko found herself falling for Mary. For those few days, even if it was a deception on her lover's part, it felt good to Toshiko to have someone. She ended up going up to the Plass with Jack and they talked about the pendant and some of what she had been able to do when wearing it. The pendant ended up being crushed by her boot heel. She had promised first thing in the morning to get back on track with the translation program.

Jack entered the Hub to find Ianto sitting at Jack's desk, watching on CCTV. Gwen and Owen were long gone for the evening. On the monitor was Toshiko sitting where Jack had left her on the bench in front of the Millennium Centre, looking small and lost.

Jack placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "I think she needs a movie night tonight," he said quietly.

Ianto looked up at Jack. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't want her to be alone tonight."

Ianto remembered the night Lisa was killed. He had gone back into the Hub to shower and change his clothes, and then started to pick up the garbage around the Hub. When he was done, Jack had taken him home and stayed. Ianto ended up breaking down and Jack held him through the night. That was how he knew the next morning that Jack really wasn't the monster Ianto had accused him to be, and that given time, they might be able to salvage their relationship after all. Jack had said Ianto shouldn't have to be alone that terrible night. He was right, and he was also right about Toshiko.

Ianto nodded. "I don't want her to either."

"Go, Ianto. Don't forget to get some food along the way." He smiled down at Ianto. "I'll go out and get something for myself. We didn't get to eat yet and I'm starving."

"Why don't we go together? You can come back here and I'll continue onto Tosh's place."

"It's a plan."

Ianto stood up and went over to the coat rack to remove Jack's coat. He held it out for the other man to slip his arms into it and then rested it on Jack's shoulders. With smiles, they started out of the Hub.

"Oh, did Owen examine you while I was with Tosh?" Jack asked as they went over to the Invisible Lift.

"Yes, he did. I'm in good health and according to him becoming more dragon with each Change."

"Excellent."


End file.
